Why do the candidates decide on the organization of the debate?

• Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen will debate on April 20 on television, in anticipation of the second round of the presidential election.

• The names of the journalists chosen to host the meeting must be confirmed this week.

• Since 1981, the debate in the second round has followed precise rules.

Macron versus Le Pen, the return.

The televised debate in the second round of the presidential election will take place on April 20 and will be broadcast at least by TF1 and France 2, which are organizing it.

The poster is familiar, but an unknown remains.

Or rather two: the identity of the journalists who will lead the debate.

This Tuesday,

affirms that Gilles Bouleau and Léa Salamé will animate the debate, without however that there was official confirmation of TF1 and France 2.

In 2017, Christophe Jakubyszyn, then head of political service at TF1, and Nathalie Saint-Cricq, head of political service at France 2, assumed this role.

The two journalists were quickly overwhelmed by the virulence of the candidates, and had to content themselves with trying to reframe the driver and the speaking time.

The evening, described by the German daily

as "the worst televised debate in the history of the Fifth Republic", had given rise to numerous memes and diversions.

And had largely served Marine Le Pen, considered aggressive, in opinion studies.

A dismissed journalist

This year, the duo will once again be made up of a journalist from TF1, and a journalist from France 2. The Superior Audiovisual Council (CSA) asked for parity during the 2017 debate, which was originally to be presented by David Pujadas (France 2) and Gilles Bouleau (TF1).

The name of the latter, presenter of the

newspaper on TF1, has been circulating for a while to animate the debate on April 20 on the TF1 side.

That of Anne-Sophie Lapix, her rival in the same box on France 2 had been mentioned.

But it would seem that the journalist was dismissed because she did not please the candidates.

On April 11, Jordan Bardella, vice-president of the National Rally, announced in

, the program presented by Pascal Praud on CNews, that Marine Le Pen did not want to debate in the presence of Anne-Sophie Lapix.

“There are proposals made by the two channels (…).

And then, by mutual agreement with the candidate teams (…), we negotiate the organization of the debate, ”he then explained.

“Marine Le Pen does not want Anne-Sophie Lapix to moderate the debate because there is such a bias, and Anne-Sophie Lapix, whom I respect as a journalist, cannot hide her hostility towards -à-vis Marine Le Pen each time she receives it, ”he justified.

He then said that Emmanuel Macron either, did not want to see her lead the debate.

In fact, wrote

and

in early April , the President of the Republic would not appreciate the presenter of

, considered “aggressive” by some, deemed “pugnacious” by others.

" It's too easy "

“The fact that she is disavowed by the two candidates means that she is doing her job well!, believes Emmanuel Poupard, first secretary general of the National Union of Journalists (SNJ).

She asks questions, sometimes awkward, and it's her job as a journalist, like it or not!

Within the framework of this debate, the candidates undoubtedly receive the questions beforehand.

But the reminders

are also important.

On the global security law, facing Gérald Darmanin, Anne-Sophie Lapix had asked questions that no one was asking.

»

The fact that a journalist was rejected by the two candidates, can it weaken the one who will actually animate the debate?

Undoubtedly, judge Emmanuel Poupard: “Choosing someone more consensual is to lend the flank to the idea that journalists are complacent with politicians – while our role is to transmit information.

This is dangerous for democracy!

“For the union official, “it is not up to the candidates to choose who will interview them or not.

They can make wishes, but that's up to the channels – it's too easy otherwise.

»

That the candidates set their conditions as to the organization of the debate is not new.

In 1974, François Mitterrand and Valéry Giscard d'Estaing opposed each other during a debate that has remained famous, on May 10, 1974. It was then the first televised debate between candidates present in the second round of the presidential election - neither Charles de Gaulle, neither George Pompidou had taken part in the exercise.

The 1974 debate, broadcast on two television channels and by Radio France Inter, was already presented by an equal duo: Jacqueline Baudrier and Alain Duhamel.

Both, as well as the director Roger Benamou, are chosen in agreement with the candidates.

The role of journalists: ensure the smooth running of the debate, and enforce speaking times;

they're not supposed to ask questions.

Specifications

In 1981, François Mitterrand, having found himself bad in 1974, did not wish to repeat the exercise.

To reassure him, his team draws up strict specifications, told Europe 1 in 2017 Serge Moati, journalist and director, adviser to Mitterrand in 1981. “What we invented in 1981 set a precedent.

We went together to negotiate with the opposing camp all the rules.

There was no CSA at the time, there was no high authority,” he recalled.

The debate, led by Jean Boissonat and Michèle Cotta, will be followed by Mitterrand's victory.

The staging rules are summarized on the Vie publique website: "Any question asked by a speaker must pass through the journalists, only mid-length mid-length shots and close-ups are used, cutaway and reaction shots are prohibited, the director of the debate is supervised by two assistants chosen by each candidate.

»

Since then, the conditions of each debate between the two rounds have always been validated by the teams of the candidates.

Thus, Arlette Chabot, co-host of the debate between Ségolène Royal and Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007, told

how the temperature of the plateau had been the subject of negotiations between the teams of the candidates.

And a book released in 2018,

by journalists Jean-Baptiste Marteau and Neila Latrous, said that in 2017, a dozen duets were offered to candidates before they don't agree.

A rule established in 1981 had also been abandoned in 2017: the prohibition of the cutting plan, despite the resistance of Marine Le Pen.

These are images where one person is filmed while another is speaking.

They thus allow viewers to see the reactions of a candidate to the remarks made by his opponent.

“Cutting plans are always scary because they can show a certain weakness”, recognized in 2017 Michel Field, then director of information for France Télévisions, with Le

.

To see if they will be maintained this year.

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