French lawmakers seek to revoke CNews press credentials

French lawmakers Benjamin Lucas-Lundy and Léa Balage El Mariky have formally requested the withdrawal of press accreditations for media outlets owned by the Bolloré group at the National Assembly. The request was sent to Yaël Braun-Pivet following a press conference held at the Palais-Bourbon regarding a racist attack in Trappes, where CNews was excluded.

The deputies accused CNews of contributing to the “saturation of public debate” through themes and language they characterized as “unabashed racism.” They further described Bolloré group media as an “weapon against the Republic and its values,” arguing that such outlets should no longer have access to the National Assembly.

This move follows previous calls from left-wing figures, such as Sandrine Rousseau, to restrict the channel's broadcasting authorization. Separately, Ali Rabeh, the mayor of Trappes, has faced scrutiny regarding his presence alongside Elias d’Imzalène, a militant, during the aforementioned press conference. While Rabeh claimed the individual infiltrated the event by posing as a journalist, d’Imzalène contested this, stating he was invited and has known the mayor for a long time.