Will there be a merger of public broadcasting in France? The subject is being debated today in the Cultural Affairs Committee of the Assembly. This project, desired by Emmanuel Macron since his election in 2017, is defended today by Rachida Dati, the Minister of Culture. This merger should bring together Radio France, France Télévisions, France Media Monde – which brings together RFI and France 24 – and the INA, the National Audiovisual Institute, from 2026.
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Recurring subject since the election ofEmmanuel Macron in 2017, this major reform took shape at lightning speed. The former Minister of Culture, Franck Riester, carried out a holding project in 2019, but the Covid-19 crisis stopped it.
As soon as she took office in January at the Ministry of Culture, Rachida Dati said she wanted “ gather strength » of public broadcasting, going further than the mergers already underway between France Télévisions and Radio France.
Rachida Dati finally stepped on the accelerator: she will come herself to defend in committee the merger from 2026 of Radio France, France televisions, France media monde (RFI, France 24) and the INA (National Audiovisual Institute) . The key proposal will not be put to a vote until late Tuesday evening or Wednesday afternoon.
4 billion budget, 16,000 employees affected
Before the merger, public broadcasting would go through a transitional stage in 2025, under a holding regime. The giant company would have a budget of 4 billion and the reform potentially concerns a total of 16,000 employees.
For this first legislative stage, some 260 amendments are on the agenda of the parliamentarians of the Cultural Affairs Committee until Wednesday, May 15, before the text passes its first reading in the hemicycle of the Palais Bourbon on May 23 and 24. For these two days, strikes have already been announced by the unions of Radio France and France Media Monde.
To guarantee the adoption of the reform, the minister from LR took over a bill already adopted in June 2023 by the Senate, dominated by the right. This text from Senator Laurent Lafon (Centrist Union) provides for the creation of a simple holding company called France Media.
In the Assembly, the rapporteurs are the Renaissance deputy, Fabienne Colboc, and the LR, Jean-Jacques Gaultier, a duo capable of gathering a majority of votes. The integration of France Media Monde into the larger group, however, creates a debate within the presidential camp. The left, for its part, is up against the very project of holding company.
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