"The audiovisual tax is 138 euros per year", "I assume to remove it to restore purchasing power", especially since "it is a very expensive tax to collect", he said. he says on France Inter.
"But I want public broadcasting and its independence," he continued.
"It is also my big difference with the project of Madame Le Pen who proposes to remove it to privatize".
According to him, the fee - which finances France Télévisions, Radio France, INA, TV5 Monde and France Médias Monde - did not guarantee the independence of these media since their budgets are supplemented by the State to the tune of "several hundred million euros per year" for ten years.
"Already for three presidents you have had a situation that would allow you to do that", to interfere, but "none, neither President Sarkozy, nor President Hollande nor myself have done it", a- he launched.
Mr. Macron therefore proposed to define "a budget with multi-annual visibility" which "does not give rise to budgetary regulation in the year by the government".
“I will also ask you to be honest, collectively, it has been five years since you practiced me as president, there has never been an intervention on my part on a journalist, a program or anything in the audiovisual public,” he insisted.
The announcement by the president-candidate of his wish to abolish the fee had raised concerns about his independence.
Paid for by households that own a television set, it should bring in 3.2 billion euros this year.
© 2022 AFP