French media respond to M. Le Pen’s ‘Kevlar suit’ comments against investigative outlet

French media respond to M. Le Pen’s ‘Kevlar suit’ comments against investigative outlet The editorial committees of 39 French media outlets, including FRANCE 24 and RFI, on Friday released a joint statement condemning National Rally (RN) party leader and presidential candidate Marine Le Pen’s recent comments targeting investigative outlet Médiapart as “violent attempts at intimidation” against press freedom in France, qualifying them as “particularly worrying for the right to information" that citizens of a democracy "are entitled to expect”. Le Pen on Tuesday said Médiapart, an investigative outlet which published alleged anti-Semitic comments by RN party president Jordan Bardella earlier in the week, would have to put on a “bulletproof suit” to contend with the party’s response. Polls currently show Le Pen set to win the first round of voting for France’s first round of presidential elections on April 18, 2027. The editorial committees’ statement (click here for the original in French): We, journalists working in newsrooms with differing editorial lines, jointly and unreservedly condemn the death threats made by the National Rally against our colleagues at Mediapart, and the many attacks by the far right on journalists across the country. By suggesting that Mediapart put on its "Kevlar suit" (a bulletproof vest, in other words), Marine Le Pen is putting a target on journalists' backs. These violent attempts at intimidation are the hallmark of authoritarian regimes around the world, and they are particularly worrying for the right to information that the people of a democratic country are entitled to expect. Press freedom, guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights and international law, makes journalism an indispensable check on power. It's alarming that political leaders who aspire to govern the country can act in this way. Journalists investigate based on evidence, report facts, explain, analyse and see through well-oiled communication campaigns in keeping with ethical standards, no matter which way their outlet may lean. They must never face intimidation for doing their work.