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Radio France staff strike over editorial appointment

Updated 7 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-19 15:46 UTC → 2026-09-27 11:43 UTC · added removed

The appointment of Charles Sapin, deputy editor of Valeurs Actuelles, as a political editorialist for France Inter and France Info has triggered intense internal and public backlash. While management maintains the move ensures pluralism, labor unions—including CFDT, CGT, FO, SNJ, SUD, and Unsa—argue that Sapin’s association with a publication linked to far-right figures is “not compatible” with public service broadcasting. Following a unanimous staff vote expressing a “categorical refusal” of the recruitment, Radio France entered a two-day strike on September 13 and 14. Staff subsequently rejected management’s proposal to transform the weekly editorial into a contradictory debate, maintaining their strike action and scheduling further protests for September 21. On September 19, the situation shifted when Charles Sapin announced he would no longer provide his weekly editorial following a directive from Radio France management to cancel the segment. Sapin criticized the move, claiming his professional integrity and publication were targets of a “defamation campaign” designed to exclude his voice from public debate. The cancellation drew political reaction; Bruno Retailleau, president of the LR party, described the staff protests as “anti-fascist little theater.” Despite the withdrawal of While management stated they yielded to union pressure by canceling the segment, the controversy remains centered on the tension between management’s pursuit of pluralism and staff concerns regarding they maintained the “certificate of respectability” provided station would continue to a publication with reflect a history “diversity of legal convictions for racial insults. sensibilities.” In an effort to move past the confrontation, Radio France has appointed Hadrien Brachet, deputy political editor-in-chief at Le Point, to take over the Sunday morning political editorial slot. Brachet succeeds Sapin, who delivered only two editorials before his departure.

Versions

  1. 2026-09-27 11:43 UTC Radio France staff strike over editorial appointment
  2. 2026-09-19 15:46 UTC Radio France staff strike over editorial appointment
  3. 2026-09-17 15:24 UTC Radio France staff strike over editorial appointment
  4. 2026-09-13 05:01 UTC Radio France staff strike over editorial appointment
  5. 2026-09-13 01:26 UTC Radio France staff strike over editorial appointment
  6. 2026-09-11 07:39 UTC Radio France staff dispute over editorial appointment
  7. 2026-09-04 00:41 UTC Radio France staff dispute over editorial appointment
  8. 2026-09-02 13:26 UTC Radio France staff dispute over editorial appointment

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