Rachida Dati in the Assembly arena to defend the reform of public broadcasting

Finally, the test of fire for Rachida Dati . From Monday, the deputies will debate the reform of public broadcasting, which has been postponed many times and which at this stage does not appear certain to be able to be voted on within the allotted time.

The Minister of Culture has consistently supported the National Assembly's consideration of Senator Laurent Lafon's (UDI, centre) bill, which plans to create a holding company, France Médias, on 1 January 2026, which would oversee France Télévisions, Radio France and the INA (National Audiovisual Institute), under the authority of a chairman and CEO.

When the text was passed through the committee in mid-June, France Médias Monde, the international branch of the French public broadcaster (RFI, France 24), was excluded from the holding company's scope, at the government's suggestion. The committee also removed an entire section of the text aimed at "preserving France's audiovisual sovereignty," including provisions concerning sports rights and the development of digital terrestrial radio.

The reform, if successful, would be one of the few trophies the minister could claim, as she aims to wrest Paris City Hall from the left in March 2026. The holding company project is being fiercely opposed by public broadcasting unions. Those at Radio France launched an indefinite strike on Thursday, deeming it "extremely dangerous" both for the future of employees and for the independence of information. At France Télévisions and INA, the unions are calling for a strike starting Monday.

"Public broadcasting is a civic issue (...) It is useful for democracy, especially in a context that is highly charged with foreign interference, technological innovations, and private groups that are organizing and structuring themselves. The status quo is no longer possible. It is urgent to bring together the forces of public broadcasting," Ms. Dati reaffirmed in an interview with Challenges on Monday.

Prime Minister François Bayrou expressed his support for the reform on Sunday on RTL. The debates will begin with the examination of a motion of rejection tabled by the Greens. If it is rejected, the minister will face a veritable parliamentary guerrilla war, led by Socialist MP Emmanuel Grégoire, who authored more than 250 of the 935 amendments tabled.

Perhaps a foretaste of the municipal elections? Parisian socialist activists will choose their candidate on Monday, and could choose Mr. Grégoire, unless they prefer Anne Hidalgo's successor, Rémi Féraud.

Faced with this mass of amendments, it seems unlikely that the debate will reach a vote, at least within the timeframe currently scheduled for consideration: Monday and Tuesday. Another text, on extending the maximum length of time spent in detention centres (CRA), is due to begin consideration on Wednesday.

"Despite Rachida Dati's persistence, the government has not provided sufficient time to examine the text in its entirety," rejoices Sophie Taillé-Polian, a member of parliament from the Green and Socialist group.

But Rachida Dati remains "determined that (MPs) can go all the way to a vote," assures the text's rapporteur, Virginie Duby-Muller (LR). Debates will resume on Friday if necessary, Matignon confirmed to AFP.

In this parliamentary battle, the government coalition's mobilization is uncertain, with one MP from the Common Core party expressing a certain unease. "I have the impression that we're accelerating towards a crash," said this elected official, who also pointed to Rachida Dati's handling of the issue, which has not contributed to the "calmness of the debates."

In April, an incident pitted the minister against a female civil servant in the lower house in committee. More recently, Ms. Dati caused a stir by attacking journalist Patrick Cohen on the set of C à vous on France 5, and by asserting on France Inter that public service listeners were a "club" of "CSP+," meaning those belonging to relatively well-off socio-professional categories.

The National Rally (RN) is cautious: "We are rather in favor of abstaining on this reform," said RN vice-president Sébastien Chenu on Europe 1 on Sunday. His party is in favor of partial privatization of public broadcasting.