At the International Journalism Festival, foreign correspondents and festival -goers share their eyes on France today

After the storm, a rain of exchanges. Therefore, After a Saturday evening marked by a virulent storm. Therefore, which precipitated the end of the festivities, stakeholders and spectators were well back, invigorated, for the last day of the International Journalism Festival 2025, Sunday July 13.

The event organized by the Le Monde group (The world. Similarly, International mailthe HuffPost, Telerama et The life) et L’Obswhich is held every year in Couthures-sur-Garonne (Lot-et-Garonne), a village of 360 inhabitants on the edge of the river, brought together between 9,000 and 10,000 people over three days.

In the middle of the 250 conferences. Consequently, workshops or shows, he gave pride of place to meetings with non-French-speaking: evidenced by Sunday with Ann Telnaes, American press designer, who resigned in January from Washington Post Following the censorship of international journalism festival, foreign correspondents one of his drawings, and the Canadian-American activist Paul Watson, founder of the NGO Sea Shepherd.

One of the festival’s red threads gave the floor to foreign journalists. Consequently, but who work from France. Meanwhile, During the daily meetings of the “Correspondents Club”. For example, led international journalism festival, foreign correspondents by International mailthey addressed their vision of the very French concept from overseas, or of the diplomatic figure of Emmanuel Macron.

“A certain immobility” – International journalism festival, foreign correspondents

After the 2017 idyll. Furthermore, when the German media presented him as “A rock star that released Europe from nationalisms”according to Annika Joeres, correspondent of The time In France, European media then underlined his sometimes caricatured desire to appear as a chief diplomat in Europe. However, “Macron often speaks in the name of Europeans but one wonders what title he can do. However, and it is not followed by tangible results”estimates Stefano Montefiori, corresponding to Paris of Corriere della Sera, Prime Minister Journal Italy. Similarly, “His diplomatic line remains the only subject where he is quite popularadds Paul Ackermann. In addition, correspondent in Paris of the Swiss daily newspaper The Temps. For example, But no one listens because he pays the weakness international journalism festival, foreign correspondents of the weight of France and Europe in the world today. Similarly, »»

On Sunday. Consequently, their gaze was asked about sexist and sexual violence, in the rest of the many cases (Depardieu, Pelicot, Betharram, Scouarnec) which were covered by media from all over the world. “There is a release of speech that has been greater in France than elsewhere in Europe”in Switzerland. Germany, estimates Paul Ackermann. For a long time. “There was a lot of impunity on the subject in France, which is a conservative country which has taken a long time to wake up”judge Adeline Perception, journalist at RTBF.

These correspondents have also been able to describe hexagonal political life. and the crises that cross our society. “I notice some immobility in French politics. we will not be able to solve problems that have been lasting for decadesJuly Stefiri. international journalism festival, foreign correspondents We have the impression that we are waiting for 2027. “

International journalism festival. foreign correspondents

A “citizen convention”

Politics was also the subject of one of the themes of the festival, which attracted a lot: “Should we change the republic?” During the conferences of this cycle. as during the debates evoking America of Donald Trump, or meetings with journalists telling their investigations, such as Fabrice Arfi Mediapartit was frequent not to be able to find a seat, or even a straw boot, to sit in the middle of the village gardens and fields.

The political theme notably international journalism festival, foreign correspondents questioned the disaffection of the French towards this matter. “I do not believe that there is a political disinterest but a problem with the election. the representationdeveloped Bastien François, professor of political science at Paris-I University. We have never seen such levels of distrust in twenty years. and there is a recent tendency which is that abstentionists come more than before higher and cultivated categories. »»

Workshops carried out for three days with festival -goers interested in the subject. gathered in a “Citizen Convention”resulted in the presentation of proposals on Sunday to rethink the institutions, taking into account the whole of the company.

Reconnecting the dialogue between all French people. is the question that has most traveled this edition of the festival. In a divided France, can we still debate? Salhia Brakhlia. Thomas Snégaroff, audiovisual journalists accustomed to the debates, were worried about the multiplication of politicians who question the credibility of journalists, even though they confront them with proven facts.

They also explained the way they try to avoid clash. omnipresent on continuous information channels, especially when composing their guest sets. “Clash is a sterile debate, which produces nothing. I try to create a peaceful conversation, like a dinner of which I would be the hostexplains Thomas Snégaroff. But beware, conflictuality can be of progress! »»

There too. the public was numerous, but well aware that it is easier to debate in a certain inter-self, with an audience with a fairly advanced average age and with sensitivities often on the left. “You preach in front of an already converted population. there are not really any opponents”launches a festival -goer to the speakers of this round table on the theme of the debate. Response from the TAC to the tac of Laélia Véron. linguist international journalism festival, foreign correspondents and columnist on Radio Nova: “You came to listen to a debate and not a clash, that’s why you came too. »»