BFMTV has announced the cancellation of a special evening dedicated to the Paris municipal elections, initially scheduled for Wednesday evening. The event was to bring together several candidates for mayor of the capital, including Emmanuel Grégoire (PS), Rachida Dati (LR) and Sarah Knafo (Reconquête).
In a statement, the channel explains that this decision is linked to the priority given to international news. "In light of the exceptional international events surrounding the war in Iran, the special municipal election evening dedicated to the city of Paris is cancelled this Wednesday, March 11th.", reports BFMTV.
Six candidates were initially expected to discuss the Paris municipal elections.
The evening was also expected to bring together three other candidates involved in the Parisian municipal battle: Sophia Chikirou for La France insoumise, Pierre-Yves Bournazel for Horizons and Thierry Mariani for the Rassemblement national.
The program was intended to provide a platform for the various candidates for mayor of Paris, as the campaign gradually coalesces around several figures from different political parties. News channels and broadcast media traditionally organize this type of program to allow candidates to present their proposals and compare their visions for municipal governance.
Pierre-Yves Bournazel denounces the lack of debate between the main candidates
Pierre-Yves Bournazel strongly criticized the lack of public confrontation between some of the leading candidates in the Paris campaign. The center-right candidate specifically mentioned several media events that were canceled or attended by some participants who failed to show up.
“On France 3 (Ici Paris Ile-de-France) last week, neither Emmanuel Grégoire nor Rachida Dati came to debate; then LCI cancelled the debate, then CNews, and now BFM.” did he declare.
According to him, this series of cancellations deprives Parisian voters of open debate between the main candidates for mayor. Pierre-Yves Bournazel believes that the two frontrunners in the election are avoiding public discussion.
"The two frontrunners in the election have shown contempt for Parisians by depriving them of a debate; this is a denial of democracy.", he said.
A campaign marked by the absence of direct confrontation
The candidate also highlights a situation that he considers unique in the capital compared to other major French cities. "In Paris, unlike in Lyon, Marseille, and Nice, there will have been no debate with the main competitors.", he notes.
Rachida Dati, for her part, has always refused to participate in this type of confrontation, believing that it had no " any sense ".
The controversy took on a new dimension last Saturday when Pierre-Yves Bournazel attended a rally for Emmanuel Grégoire. According to his statements, he wanted to publicly denounce his Socialist opponent's refusal to debate.
A Parisian campaign still seeking media visibility
The cancellation of BFMTV's special evening coverage comes as media outlets are ramping up their political programming around the municipal elections. 24-hour news channels play a significant role in raising the profile of local campaigns, particularly in a city like Paris, where the political and symbolic stakes extend far beyond the municipal level.
However, the intense international news, particularly the situation in the Middle East and the tensions related to the war mentioned by BFMTV, has led the channel to revise its editorial programming.
While the previous Paris municipal election was marred by a huge abstention rate due to Covid, this 2026 campaign is overshadowed by the war in Iran. Parisians, disgusted by Anne Hidalgo's management but with low voter turnout, will they finally turn out in droves this time? We'll find out on Sunday.
