Radio France staff strike over appointment of far-right weekly editor

Staff at France's public radio broadcaster began a two-day strike on Sunday over the appointment of a commentator whom unions accuse of promoting far-right ideas ahead of next spring's presidential election. Charles Sapin, deputy editor-in-chief at far-right weekly Valeurs Actuelles, has since late August been presenting a weekly political commentary segment on France Inter, the country's most-listened-to radio station. Management has defended the appointment in the name of pluralism ahead of the April-May election to choose a successor to President Emmanuel Macron. Polls suggest far-right leader Marine Le Pen has her strongest chance yet of winning the Élysée Palace. Staff have expressed their opposition to the appointment, arguing that Valeurs Actuelles' editorial values are at odds with Radio France's public service mandate. Read moreOnly the beginning? German far right's breakthrough shakes Europe to its core Due to the strike, Sapin's weekly column, scheduled to air early on Sunday, was not broadcast. Other segments of France Inter's morning programme were also taken off the air and replaced with music. Morning programmes on franceinfo and France Culture, the public group's ot...