Being at the gathering to celebrate the results of a presidential election is a coveted billet, and several media outlets were rebuffed in their attempts to join the throng expected at the party being thrown by candidate Marine Le Pen as she unsuccessfully sought the title of France's head of state.
As the Sunday election results rolled in, all eyes were on Le Pen, a firebrand who's hotly contested rhetoric made her a front-runner early in the race.
Buzzfeed, Politico and several other French and international media outlets, after being barred from attending the soiree, are not shy about their frustration with being stonewalled, even though their candidate won.
"@BuzzFeedFRpol is among several media outlets that didn't get press credentials to be at Le Pen's HQ for tonight because 'not enough space,'" according to a tweet from Buzzfeed News.
Politico Europe editor Michael Kaminski tweeted, "POLITICO barred from National Front event tonight in Paris, along with several other publications," cited by the Washington Examiner.
But Le Monde, and the outlets banned from the Le Pen event, got the last laugh after she was roundly defeated on Sunday.
According to an earlier statement from the publisher, Le Monde "strongly condemns this attitude" of Le Pen's, to bar media outlets that have published news items a politician may not like from having access to a candidate.
Le Monde's editorial staff described the Le Pen's understanding of freedom of the press as "degraded," according to a statement from the paper, and refused an invitation from Le Pen's National Front party to attend the election night loss gathering.
Le Pen was not the only candidate trafficking in press bans, however, as liberal democrat Emmanuel Macron, France's new president, barred Sputnik and RT from campaign events, including his election night win celebration.
Buzzfeed and Politico were barred from attending US President Donald Trump's campaign events last year.
