“I will never sort” between journalists at the National Assembly, maintains Yaël Braun-Pivet

The President of the National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet told the press on Wednesday that she would “never sort” between journalists holding a press card at the Palais Bourbon. A statement which comes at a time when a petition calling for the closure of the CNews channel has exceeded 840,000 signatures on the National Assembly website, and could soon be the subject of a debate at the Palais Bourbon.

“Very regularly, I receive requests from parliamentarians” to “ban such a person from the Assembly”, or “withdraw such and such accreditation”, declared Yaël Braun-Pivet to journalists, during the inauguration ceremony of a new room intended for the press within the lower house.

“For me, the line is very simple: from the moment you have a press card, you are admitted to the National Assembly. I will never sort between one and the other,” she added. “In the National Assembly, which is truly the beating heart of our democracy, freedom of the press must be able to assert itself and be fully experienced. And so you can always count on me to allow you to carry out your mission, whatever media you represent,” she added.

Launched in June, the petition demanding the closure of CNews, on the institution's website, saw the number of its signatories increase sharply at the end of October after the racist attack in Trappes. According to the rules of the Assembly, a debate in the hemicycle can be organized on a report relating to a petition signed by more than 500,000 people.