One strategy to perceive the political turmoil and stress which have seized immediately’s France is to observe TV and radio presenter Cyril Hanouna.
The 49-year-old hosts a stay present referred to as Touche Pas a Mon Poste! (Don’t Contact My TV Channel!) — a populist cocktail of rowdy, political infotainment that draws a every day viewership of some million, and which critics have accused of boosting the far proper.
Behind the hit present is Vincent Bolloré, a billionaire media baron who has develop into a Rupert Murdoch-like determine in France by pushing a conservative agenda throughout his media property, together with TV channel CNEWS, Sunday paper Journal du Dimanche, and Europe 1 radio.
Hanouna, as soon as a jester-like determine who acquired his begin as a comic book, has develop into the smooth energy arm of Bolloré’s empire, reaching a youthful, working class viewers that always doesn’t vote.
Politicians flock to his present to focus on that inhabitants phase in a extra casual, unconventional setting than conventional media.
The present holds up a mirror to French society, and isn’t all about politics. On an electrical blue or vivid yellow set, the charismatic Hanouna leads a refrain of commentators and friends who dissect the day’s occasions, usually specializing in what’s trending on social media — gory crimes, a crackdown on Muslim-inspired garb at colleges, or a celeb concerned in a lethal automotive crash.
However when President Emmanuel Macron unexpectedly referred to as snap elections final month, Hanouna pivoted to an all politics-themed, particular every day radio present referred to as On marche sur la tête (It’s all gone topsy-turvy).
France’s broadcast regulator quickly afterwards issued an official warning for bias: greater than half of the 29 politicians interviewed have been from the far proper, it stated, whereas the left was “systematically handled critically and virulently, usually in pejorative and outrageous phrases”.
When Jordan Bardella, the far-right Rassemblement Nationwide’s social gathering chief, got here on, Hanouna requested him softball questions they usually chuckled over callers’ questions. In distinction, the host repeatedly interrupted Arthur Delaporte, a socialist operating for re-election, criticising him for forming an alliance with the far left.
Hanouna’s TV present, which went on summer season hiatus final month, additionally showcased the far proper on its final episode, that includes Sarah Knafo — a politician from Éric Zemmour’s smaller, excessive rightwing Reconquête (Reconquest) social gathering — and Eric Ciotti, the top of the conservative Les Républicains, who had simply defected to the far-right Rassemblement Nationwide.
Knafo pleaded on air for a coalition amongst all of them and stated it might be as much as Bardella to comply with it.
“Let’s name him proper now,” stated Hanouna, earlier than dialling RN chief Bardella’s quantity. He didn’t decide up however Knafo left him an extended voicemail about how they’ve a “distinctive alternative” to crew up.
Hanouna cracked a joke about Knafo’s long-winded message, however the second had a critical subtext: the pitch was aimed toward forging l’union des droites (union of the precise), a long-held dream of Bolloré and an instance of how his media retailers promote his worldview.
A religious Catholic and fervent believer in capitalism, Bolloré has remodeled CNEWS right into a 24-hour opinionated channel with rightwing undertones much like Fox Information.
In an indication of Bolloré’s clout, LR chief Ciotti consulted with him final month earlier than his overture in direction of the RN, in line with Le Monde newspaper. Ciotti appeared on a number of of Bolloré’s retailers to defend himself as his former social gathering colleagues blasted him as a traitor.
On Hanouna’s final TV present earlier than summer season break, the host requested Ciotti: “So did you negotiate with Bardella to be a minister?” Ciotti gave a long-winded non-answer.
Throughout a parliamentary inquiry into TV licences in March, leftwing senators accused Hanouna of selling Bolloré’s political agenda and giving disproportionate airtime to far-right politicians. Hanouna and Bolloré denied any bias.
Claire Sécail, an educational who studied Hanouna’s present for a crucial ebook, stated the programme had contributed to the polarisation of society by ramping up controversies and inspiring clashes between friends to spice up scores.
The present “is a populist echo chamber,” stated Sécail. “Initially you suppose Hanouna is a buffoon, however there’s a actual political venture behind the present — that of Vincent Bolloré — that demonises the far left in order to normalise the far proper.”
Hanouna denied earlier than the Senate that Bolloré was wielding any affect on his present. “Vincent Bolloré by no means requested me to ask sure folks or to speak a couple of particular subject. By no means!” he stated.
Hanouna solid his mission as giving voice to folks from diverse backgrounds, not simply Parisien elites: he stated his present had featured ladies who put on the Muslim veil, a rarity on French TV, together with taxi drivers and crime victims.
Politicians of all stripes have been invited on to the present, he stated, however many leftists and centrists had refused.
In 2018, Hanouna was among the many first hosts to ask gilets jaunes (yellow vest) protesters on TV, amplifying the amorphous, populist motion that was sparked by a carbon tax on petrol — a controversial coverage enacted by Macron. Hanouna initially hosted a large palette of politicians, together with from the far left.
That openness led to 2022 when Hanouna clashed with Louis Boyard, a former leftwing commentator on his present turned lawmaker for La France Insoumise (LFI), the social gathering of anti-capitalist firebrand Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
When Boyard insulted Bolloré, claiming the media magnate’s firm pillaged assets in Africa, Hanouna retorted that the leftwing MP was a “jerk”, a “shit” and a “loser”.
“I don’t chew the hand that feeds me and neither do you have to,” Hanouna stated, in an obvious reference to Bolloré.
Arcom, the French broadcast regulator, hit the channel with a €3.5mn effective over the incident, saying it harmed Boyard’s popularity and ran counter to the broadcaster’s obligation to manage what went out on its airwaves.
Additional violations akin to giving voice to conspiracy theorists, repeating pretend information, and never respecting pluralism have value Bolloré’s channel a complete of €7.5mn.
Comic Yassine Bellatar, who used to seem on the present and as soon as thought of Hanouna a pal, stated the conflict with Boyard meant far fewer friends have been invited from Mélenchon’s social gathering.
“It’s not a present the place folks give their opinions any extra,” stated Bellatar. “Cyril Hanouna has develop into the most important sponsor of characters on the far proper.”
Bellatar additionally criticised Hanouna, who’s Jewish of Tunisian descent, for “demonising the Muslim group in France” after the October 7 Hamas assault on Israel, in addition to amplifying criticism of LFI for its staunch assist for Palestinians.
Hanouna declined to remark. A Vivendi firm government stated it was a “complete fantasy” to suppose Hanouna was doing Bolloré’s bidding, including that “there isn’t any political or ideological venture. It’s a enterprise endeavour.”
Christophe Barbier, a veteran journalist who co-wrote a ebook with Hanouna, stated his present “was a symptom of the democratic malaise that plagues France immediately, not its trigger.”
“French society is not infused with the nuanced spirit of Voltaire, Hugo, or Zola,” he stated in reference to France’s emblematic thinker and writers. “It’s infused with Hanouna.”
