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What does freedom of the press guarantee?
Model-written, not yet read by a native reader.
Correct answer: The right to publish one's ideas freely, except for abuses defined by law. It guarantees the right to speak, write and publish one's opinions freely. People must answer for abuses in the cases set by law. This freedom comes from the 1789 Declaration.
Sources: Sheet “Présentation des principaux textes (1/3) : La Déclaration des droits de l'homme et du citoyen” (French), read on 21 October 2026. Answer written by Hexaciv from this source. Hexaciv is an independent preparation tool. It is not an official website, is not linked to any government body and does not give legal advice. The authoritative source is the Ministry of the Interior's, cited on this page.
The four choices and why
- ✗ The right to write anything without ever answering to the lawLe droit d'écrire n'importe quoi sans jamais répondre devant la loiThis freedom has a limit: people must answer for abuses in the cases set by law.
- ✓ The right to publish one's ideas freely, except for abuses defined by lawLe droit de publier librement ses idées, sauf abus prévus par la loiCorrect answer. It guarantees the right to speak, write and publish one's opinions freely. People must answer for abuses in the cases set by law. This freedom comes from the 1789 Declaration.
- ✗ The right to read only the newspapers chosen by the StateLe droit de lire seulement les journaux choisis par l'ÉtatEvery citizen can speak, write and print freely, except for answering for the abuse of this freedom in the cases set by law.
- ✗ The right to silence a newspaper that criticises the Government of the dayLe droit de faire taire un journal qui critique le Gouvernement en placeThis is not the right answer: every citizen can speak, write and print freely, except for answering for abuses set by law.
What the source says
« La libre communication des pensées et des opinions est un des droits les plus précieux de l'homme ; tout citoyen peut donc parler, écrire, imprimer librement, sauf à répondre de l'abus de cette liberté dans les cas déterminés par la loi. »
Sentence copied word for word from the source, in French, read on 21 October 2026.
How it reads on exam day
The exam is in French, so this is the question you will see: « Que garantit la liberté de la presse ? ». Learn the English idea above and the French words in the options.
This question is on the official list for the resident card (CR) and on the naturalisation list (PDF read on 14 October 2026). The Ministry's wording: “Que garantit la liberté de la presse ?”.
Where the Ministry explains it
All 38 “Rights and duties” questions on the CR list
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