Quentin Bataillon, a member of the Renaissance party in France, received a gift from TV host Cyril Hanouna during an appearance on the show “Touche pas à mon poste” (TPMP) on C8. The gift was a t-shirt promoting the show. However, this raised questions about whether Bataillon, who is the president of the parliamentary commission investigating TNT, should declare this gift to the Assembly’s ethics commissioner. The commission is currently investigating Hanouna and the TV channels owned by Vincent Bolloré.
During his appearance on the show, Bataillon criticized the political motives behind the commission, which was initiated by La France insoumise. He urged the commission to move away from what he described as a witch hunt against TV personalities, journalists, and TV channels. Bataillon even defended TF1 and TMC, claiming they follow the rules, despite the fact that Hanouna’s show has been sanctioned numerous times by the broadcasting authority. He also joined in the campaign of criticism against Yann Barthès, host of the show “Quotidien”. Despite reports of a confrontation between Bataillon and Sylvain Maillard, the leader of the Renaissance group, no disciplinary action is planned against the MP.
The president of the National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, issued a statement reminding commission presidents to exercise restraint to maintain the credibility of their investigations. However, she stated that she would not take any action against Bataillon, citing the sovereignty of the investigative commissions. Bataillon has no intentions of resigning from his position, stating that he does not want to be trapped in any political manipulation. The tense situation between Bataillon and the rapporteur from La France insoumise, Aurélien Saintoul, is jeopardizing the work of the commission, which is set to release its conclusions on May 7 after four months of hearings.
The conflict between Bataillon and the other members of the commission has led to concerns about the ability of the commission to complete its work effectively. Sophie Taillé-Polian, a Green Party member of parliament, has even written to the Assembly’s ethics commissioner to request Bataillon’s removal from the commission. The situation has created uncertainty about the future of the investigation into TNT and the involvement of Hanouna and Vincent Bolloré’s TV channels. The outcome of this conflict and the impact it may have on the credibility of the investigation remains to be seen.
