Brain knot season is here! Since the start of the week – until June 7 at midnight – the speaking time of candidates in the European elections has been scrupulously counted by Arcom, the media regulatory authority. A headache for the 27 television and radio channels, ordered to respect a balance of candidates in their program schedules, but especially for the different teams, responsible for organizing the next eight weeks of campaign accordingly. In this electoral slump, the left came together to precisely understand the rules laid down by the audiovisual policeman. “We consulted with the other lists to see if we had understood the same thing,” explains a press advisor. First assessment: “Frankly, everyone had their interpretation.” Together we go further.
L’Express therefore delved meticulously – with the help of a few aspirins – into Arcom’s recommendation of March 6, 2024, relating to the European election on June 9. Unlike presidential elections, where strict equality of speaking time is required, the regulator recommends that publishers ensure “that the lists of candidates and their supporters benefit from fair presentation and access on air “, evaluated with regard to the political weight of each list. Political weight itself evaluated according to opinion polls, the results of the last European elections, as well as the “most recent elections”.
“What is the weighting between the different deadlines?” asks an eco-strategist. “How far are they going to go?!”, a rebellious MP fumes on the phone. Another criterion retained by the audiovisual policeman: “Arcom also takes into account the contribution of each of the lists and their support to the animation of the electoral debate.” Quintupling the decibels in the handset: “Clearly, we understand absolutely nothing about the concrete content of these rules.” Common sense rules that should be read as a whole, argues Arcom.
Change the rules
In other parties, we seem to have generally understood the matter. Like this Les Républicains MEP – transformed for the duration of a phone call into Pasionaria – who sighs: “We only lend to the rich…” The wealthy people in question are Jordan Bardella (RN) and Valérie Hayer (Renaissance) with their latest national and European results, and leading in the polls. Nothing to fall in love with the system in place, therefore, for François-Xavier Bellamy’s team, whose champion, tested at 8% of voting intentions, achieved the low score of 8.48% in the previous European elections ( 4.78% of the votes in the 2022 presidential election).
“The rules are the rules…” philosophizes this same MEP before pulling himself together: “Finally, we still have to change them. I, for example, would index the speaking time on comparable ballots. And I would especially prohibit polls in the last 15 days, otherwise it’s democracy of opinion!” It’s clear ? A PS spokesperson resigns himself, despite the growing popularity of the candidate (12% in the polls), aware of the low average score of the pink house in the two previous elections (6.19% in the 2019 European elections, 1.8% in the 2022 presidential election): “Too bad, it will reduce our exposure while we are in a dynamic period.”
These media ghosts, always sidelined, not always very friendly with the heads of the list… Luckily, it seems that François Hollande, up to date with his contributions, rather likes the Place Publique candidate Raphaël Glucksmann. Ségolène Royal, among the most critical of her former political family, did not renew her membership in the PS, as told Le Figaro, now counted as “miscellaneous-left”. Among the ecologists we are also reassured: the old glories of the party all support Marie Toussaint, some like Yannick Jadot even appear on her list.
Cold sweats, on the other hand, in locally powerful political families… Raphaël Glucksmann and François-Xavier Bellamy do not stop having nightmares: imagine, a few weeks before the election, that a fire or flood devastates a municipality led by their party, whose mayor supports one of the candidates. A national news channel went to the site and got the councilor to react. Will the latter take over the speaking time of the candidate of his political party? “We made an appointment with Arcom three weeks ago to discuss this scenario, they said they would think about the question,” explains a right-wing executive. Fairness is better than self-regulation. But please draw me fairness…
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