Karine Le Marchand, a television personality in France, is facing criticism and calls for investigation following comments she made on the CNews channel regarding her reaction to seeing a diverse group of people at a train station in Nancy. Le Marchand described feeling “a bit scared” upon observing individuals she perceived as “Black” and “Arab” disembarking a train, stating she was unaccustomed to seeing people who didn’t resemble those she knew from her school in Nancy.
The remarks, made during an appearance on a program hosted by Cyril Hanouna, quickly circulated online after being flagged by the account Alerte Racisme. A video of the exchange shows Le Marchand explaining that she “got used to it quickly and was no longer afraid of people with foreign faces.”
The comments have prompted swift political reactions. Ersilia Soudais, a Member of Parliament for La France Insoumise (LFI), shared the video on X (formerly Twitter) and accused Le Marchand of making “racist remarks,” questioning the tolerance of such statements on CNews. Soudais announced she would be reporting the incident to the Arcom, the French regulatory authority for audiovisual and digital communication.
Léa Balage El Mariky, an ecologist Member of Parliament, also condemned the remarks and stated her intention to contact the Arcom. She accused Le Marchand of deliberately courting the far-right and suggested the comments were a calculated move, describing them as “racist.”
The controversy unfolded within a broader discussion on immigration. Earlier in the program, Le Marchand had challenged some of the assertions made by Pascal Praud, offering historical context on immigration to France, noting that immigrants were often recruited to address labor shortages. She also pointed out that previous waves of immigration, including those from Italy and Spain, had faced similar prejudices.
When questioned about assimilation and the practice of immigrants adopting French names, Le Marchand declined to offer a judgment. She then shared her own family history, stating she is of Burundian and French descent and that her name, Karine, was chosen to conform to French naming conventions. Her daughter is named Alya, and Le Marchand identified herself as part of a second or third generation striving to maintain both French identity and her ancestral roots. “Why should we have to choose?” she asked.
The incident with Le Marchand occurred amidst a separate controversy involving Jean-Marc Morandini, who withdrew from his role at CNews following scrutiny over his past criminal convictions. The timing of these events has amplified the focus on CNews and its editorial direction.
As of February 10, 2026, the Arcom has not publicly responded to the calls for investigation from Soudais and Balage El Mariky.
