The programme ‘Rachida Dati: Conquering Paris’, shown on 20 March 2026, featuring an interview on CNews

A complaint was lodged with Arcom following the diffusion on CNews, on 20 March 2026, of the documentary ‘Rachida Dati: Conquering Paris’.

Meeting as a full panel on 17 June 2026, Arcom deliberated on the matter.

The decision of 4 January 2011 concerning the principle of political plurality in radio and television services during election periods stipulates that: ‘Reports, commentaries and presentations relating to elections must be presented with a constant regard for balance and honesty […]’.

Firstly, with regard to compliance with the principle of equal speaking time in the Paris constituency, the Authority found no breach.

Secondly, however, Arcom considered that the diffusion of a one-sided 30-minute documentary, devoted entirely to Rachida Dati and largely favourable to her, merely a few hours before the start of the ‘reserve period’, contravened the aforementioned provisions of the decision of 4 January 2011 requiring balance in the reports, commentaries and presentations arising from the elections. The fact that the other candidates were commented on in highly critical and at times vehement terms during the programme ‘100% Politique Week-end’, shown following the documentary, appears to support this finding.

Consequently, Arcom has served the channel with a formal notice regarding the need to comply, in future, with the aforementioned provisions of the resolution of 4 January 2011.