Radio France staff strike over Charles Sapin appointment

Employees at Radio France launched a two-day strike on September 13 and 14 to protest the appointment of Charles Sapin as a political commentator on France Inter. Sapin, the deputy editor-in-chief of the magazine Valeurs Actuelles, began delivering weekly political editorials in late August.

Unions including the CGT, CFDT, and SNJ have called for Sapin's removal, arguing that Valeurs Actuelles' editorial stance is incompatible with the public service mandate. They contend that recruiting from a publication associated with far-right views does not promote pluralism but rather normalizes extremist discourse. The magazine has previously faced legal convictions for racial insults.

Management has defended the decision as a means of ensuring pluralism ahead of the upcoming presidential election. The controversy has drawn significant attention, with approximately 300 public figures, including prominent authors and actors, signing a petition in Le Parisien describing the recruitment as ‘outrageous’.