Emmanuel Macron’s speech counted as speaking time in the campaign for the European elections

Arcom, the audiovisual regulator, has ruled: Emmanuel Macron’s speech on Europe, at the Sorbonne on Thursday, was a campaign speech and will be deducted from the speaking time for the Renaissance camp.

Emmanuel Macron’s 1h48 speech on Europe, broadcast in full on news channels on Thursday April 25, should be counted as speaking time for his camp in the European elections, and not as an institutional speech by the president. The communication from the Élysée, which explained in advance that it was not “a campaign speech, but that of a head of state who wants to influence the agenda of the next European Commission”, clearly did not convince Arcom.

According to the audiovisual regulator, “if the president’s comments did not express explicit support for the list led by Ms. Valérie Hayer, they nevertheless presented, in their entirety, a direct link with the election”. An advisor to Emmanuel Macron “respect” the decision but “maintains that it was not an election speech”.

A “very severe” sanction

It must be said that the Macronists themselves were ambiguous regarding this speech. They were banking on this moment at the Sorbonne to boost the campaign, playing a bit on both sides: speech as president and mobilizing agent for Valérie Hayer. “It was the riskgrimaces an advisor to the executive, since at the Sorbonne the president made proposals and not just an assessment”. Another still finds it very harsh: “Europe is important enough for a president to be able to talk about it!”

At Valérie Hayer’s campaign HQ, the teams looked into the question of the consequences on the campaign, as soon as the decision fell at the end of the afternoon. They even tried to call Arcom for details but there was no one there. “We will talk less”, slips a Macronist, because since April 15, it is fairness between candidates that applies. The television channels which broadcast the speech will therefore have to balance by giving the floor to the other lists. In any case, it will have no consequence on Valérie Hayer’s meeting, Tuesday May 7 at the Mutualité, in Paris, because no television channel had planned to broadcast it even before this Arcom sentence.

“Political manipulation unmasked” for Éric Ciotti

After this decision by Arcom, the opposition is jubilant. Especially LR who had contacted the audiovisual regulator. Éric Ciotti is pleased that the “political manipulation” either “unmasked”. “We did a good job,” jokes one of his relatives who talks about a “good surprise”. The right did not dare hope that the entire speech would be affected. The rebellious Manon Aubry is now demanding that the costs of organizing the Sorbonne speech be charged to Valérie Hayer’s campaign. But that’s another story, which cannot be resolved with Arcom. It’s the campaign accounts commission that will look at this, after the election.