France Pierron's Suspension: Pascal Praud Denounces L'Équipe Group's "Deplorable" Decision

Pascal Praud strongly criticized L’Équipe group’s management after France Pierron, host of L’Équipe de choc, was suspended from air for her comments on a potential temporary departure of Jérémy Doku from the Belgian national team to attend the birth of his child.

Interviewed on Europe 1, Praud first defended the host’s right to express her opinion, even though he clarified he did not share it. “She has the right to think what she thinks. The comments shocked many viewers, but that’s the principle of an exchange. We’re not obliged to think the same way as the presenter,” he said, before adding: “What shocks me is that she was suspended from air for that. It’s freedom of expression.”

The journalist then hardened his tone, denouncing what he called a drift toward “political correctness.” “We’re in the worst of political correctness: those who don’t say what we want to hear, we suspend them from air. We’re in the country of Voltaire. We can disagree, we can find it ugly, ridiculous, stupid. But it’s not insulting, it seems to me. It doesn’t fall under the law. I find it deplorable, L’Équipe’s management.”

On CNews, Praud was even more direct, calling the media group a “woke group.” “Anything that deviates from the doxa, boom, out,” he said, arguing that management had first defended its host before “backing down out of fear.” He also mocked the standard formula of contrition in this type of controversy: “You’re forced to say: ‘I understand that these comments may have shocked, hurt or offended.’ But who is hurt by that?”

The controversy erupted after France Pierron commented on the L’Équipe set about Jérémy Doku’s decision to potentially leave the Belgian national team gathering to be present at the birth of his child. Her comments sparked strong reactions, leading L’Équipe group to temporarily suspend her from air.