Launched last fall, Elysee 2022, France 2’s new political program to cover the presidential elections, could experience a small upheaval. According to information from Figaro this Sunday, Thomas Sotto, who co-hosts the program with Léa Salamé, should soon withdraw from the presentation.
As the daily reports, the journalist would have taken this decision because of a relationship he would maintain with “a very close collaborator of Prime Minister Jean Castex”, his communications director Mayada Boulos. According to The Parisian, the journalist should however retain the co-presentation of Telematin and the wild card status of the 20 Hours of the weekend.
“France Télévisions must redouble its transparency”
“We learn it. But what concerns the private life must remain private, reacted France Televisions to the Figaro. Asked about the question of a possible conflict of interest (“even though Mayada Boulos is neither elected to the Republic nor to the Presidential election”, specifies the article), the audiovisual group replied: “Thomas Sotto is an exemplary journalist who has never been the subject of any ethical criticism. He has always fully respected on our channels, in all our information meetings, the principles of independence and impartiality of the public service ”.
Later in the article, France Télévisions adds: “With the approach of important electoral deadlines, France Télévisions must redouble its transparency to avoid any situation which could cast doubt on the independence of the company. To this end, the company and each employee are invited to comply with the internal guide to professional principles for the prevention of conflicts of interest. It sets rules that apply in particular to personalities present on the air, whose spouse’s situation could pose a problem in the course of an electoral campaign ”.
It would not be the first time that a journalist has taken the decision to temporarily step back during an election in order to avoid any suspicion of a conflict of interest. In 2019, Léa Salamé did the same after the announcement of the candidacy of her companion Raphael Glucksmann in the European elections.