French journalist suspended amid accusation of collusion with Socialist party members

"We're doing the right thing for [Rachida] Dati, Patrick [Cohen] and me." This is the shocking phrase that sparked controversy in France and got a French journalist suspended on Saturday, September 6.

In videos recorded without the participants' knowledge and published by the far-right media outlet L'Incorrect, two French journalists, Thomas Legrand and Patrick Cohen, appear seated in a Paris café with Luc Broussy, chairman of the PS National Council, and Socialist MEP Pierre Jouvet.

It was then that Thomas Legrand, a columnist for France Inter and editorial writer for Libération, uttered this sentence, which, it should be noted, was cut off abruptly and without any context. The recordings date from 7 July.

For L'Incorrect, the journalists are attacking the Minister of Culture in her run for the mayoralty of Paris in March 2026, for which she is a candidate for Les Républicains (LR).

The two journalists announced they were filing a complaint.

Patrick Cohen is also a columnist for France Inter and France Télévisions, both public service media.

Provisional suspension of Thomas Legrand

Rachida Dati has called for action to be taken against the two columnists.

"Journalists from the public service and Libération claim to be 'doing whatever it takes' to eliminate me from the Paris election. These are serious and unethical statements that could lead to sanctions. From now on, everyone must accept their responsibilities," she posted on X, publishing the video posted by L'Incorrect.

France Inter announced on Friday evening that it had temporarily suspended its columnist Thomas Legrand following the broadcast of the video.

Legrand defended himself against any attack on Rachida Dati: "My job is to combat the lies told by Ms. Dati and her attitude to the press. I'm not fighting her politically," he said.

The Minister of Culture had already had a tense exchange with Patrick Cohen in June. Questioned on France 5 about her run-ins with the law and the accusations against her (illegal lobbying at the European Parliament), Rachida Dati retorted by threatening to launch an investigation against the journalist for accusations of harassment that had been reported in Mediapart.