Europe 1 with AFP 5:08 p.m., January 24, 2022

Journalist Anna Cabana moderated, on the i24 News channel, a debate on the Minister of National Education, in turmoil after his vacation in Ibiza.

An animation strongly criticized since she is the wife of Jean-Michel Blanquer.

"There is nothing hidden in the fact that she is my wife, everyone knows that," the minister said.

The Minister of Education Jean-Michel Blanquer on Monday swept aside the controversy over the animation by his journalist wife Anna Cabana of a televised debate concerning his end-of-year holidays in Ibiza, during a trip to Tourcoing devoted to media education.

It is "personal life" and "there is nothing hidden in the fact that she is my wife, everyone knows that," he told reporters.

Collusion between journalists and politicians?

He was questioned about criticism of collusion between journalists and politicians after a televised debate on the Franco-Israeli channel i24news during which journalist Anna Cabana had mentioned Mr. Blanquer's disputed vacation, without specifying on the air that she was his spouse.

"I host a news program. It would have been surreal not to talk about the political crisis of the day (...) If I hadn't done it, I would have been blamed for it", had already reacted Ms. Cabana last week in

Le Parisien

.

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Mr. Blanquer was visiting Tourcoing on Monday to discuss with college students in particular the need to develop "critical thinking" and "discernment" in the face of an "abundance of information whose quality varies".

At the end of his visit to the Pierre Mendès France college in Tourcoing, hosting two specialized "media" classes, he announced the "generalization of web radios in France".

A decision will be made concerning the baccalaureate specialty exams

"From today, calls for tenders will be launched, which will allow colleges that do not have one to have a web radio", he detailed, in order to "contribute to the media and information literacy".

Regarding the postponement of the baccalaureate specialty tests, the programming of which in March seems compromised due to the Covid, a decision will be made “within eight days” also indicated the minister.

These specialty tests, born of the baccalaureate reform driven by Mr. Blanquer, and which account for 32% of the final baccalaureate mark, have never yet been organized.

In 2021, they had been canceled because of the Covid.