Employees of Radio France went on strike on September 13 and 14 after Charles Sapin, a political commentator from the far-right weekly "Valeurs actuelles," was hired as a political editorialist on France Inter. The decision sparked controversy, with the station’s management justifying the recruitment as part of an effort to promote "pluralism," or the representation of diverse opinions in media. However, the Society of Journalists of France Inter raised concerns, pointing out that "Valeurs actuelles" has been repeatedly criticized for racist language and incitement to hatred. They argued that such a hiring would cross a red line by legitimizing hate speech on public airwaves. France Inter's director, Céline Pigalle, defended the decision by emphasizing the need to consider "the overall picture," stating that public service media should reflect a "pluralism" of opinions. President of Radio France, Sibyle Veil, added that France Inter is "the most pluralistic radio station this year," citing the presence of journalists from various ideological backgrounds, such as Guyonne de Montjou from "Figaro magazine" and Christian Chavagneux from "Alternatives économiques." The hiring of Sapin comes amid a broader trend of far-right commentators being given platforms in public media. Similar hires include Eugénie Bastié by France 2 and Sonia Mabrouk by BFM TV, who have been linked to the editorial line of CNews, a far-right media outlet. In February 2024, the Council of State ruled in favor of Reporters Without Borders, criticizing CNews for lacking pluralism. This led to a July 2024 decision by Arcom, the French media regulator, which extended the obligation of pluralism to all participants and topics covered in public media, except for journalists themselves. In contrast, Belgium has taken a different approach to handling far-right voices in public media. There, far-right politicians can appear in public broadcasts but only in delayed programming, allowing journalists to provide context for their statements. This practice has been deemed ethical by the Belgian French-speaking Journalistic Ethics Council and the Belgian Superior Audiovisual Council. The debate highlights a growing tension between the principles of political pluralism and journalistic integrity. Critics argue that the two should not be conflated, as prioritizing the inclusion of all political views could lead to the legitimization of extremist opinions. The situation raises important questions about how public media should balance the representation of diverse perspectives with the responsibility to uphold ethical standards and prevent the spread of hate speech.