Culture: Behind Bolloré, Panic Over the Rise of the National Rally

Posted by Isabelle Szczepanski le 20 mai 2026

The open crisis between a segment of the French film industry and Canal+ extends far beyond the figure of Vincent Bolloré and the big screen. In the background, it is the growing fear of the National Rally coming to power in 2027 that is paralyzing the entire cultural sector. But as the RN gains ground in the polls, the strategy of insults and outright refusal to engage in dialogue is beginning to show its limits.

The call for dialogue issued yesterday by Arcom between Canal+ and the French film industry was not merely intended to quell a controversy at Cannes. It also revealed something deeper: the growing concern within part of the cultural sector regarding the changing French political landscape. For behind the figure of Vincent Bolloré, regularly portrayed as a vehicle for “far-right” influence by certain representatives of the cultural world, looms another, more pressing fear: that of the National Rally (RN) coming to power following the 2027 presidential and legislative elections. It should be noted, however, that Vincent Bolloré…

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