Industrial action - strikes - are emblematic in France; a national treasure, in many respects. Bosses just don’t mess with workers, particularly unions. Even when the parties eventually work out their disputes nobody in France denies the right to strike. For bosses - including government officials - this can be a challenge.
The editorial staff of prominent French weekly newspaper Journal du Dimanche (JDD) are still on strike after five weeks. The editorial workers, about 50, remain distressed by the appointment of Geoffroy Lejeune - “a journalist who supports far-right politician Éric Zemmour,” noted Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF) (July 19) - as chief editor. Weeks before the JDD appointment M Lejeune resigned as chief editor of Valeurs Actuelles (Current Values), a far-right magazine. The JDD is part of the long drawn-out acquisition of Lagardère Group assets by Vincent Bolloré, principal owner of conglomerate Vivendi and champion of right-wing causes.
In a memo to staff Monday (July 25), followed by a press release, Lagardère News Media, the subsidiary publishing JDD, Paris Match and Elle International, announced that M Lejeune will officially take over the position August 1st and further negotiations with unions, including the Société des Journalistes (SDJ), would not take place. "I hope that we can now move forward to return the JDD to its readers," wrote Arnaud Lagardère himself, promising that the weekly "will remain a general information publication, general public and open to all currents of thought": "We will not make the JDD an ideological tract or a militant newspaper. This fantasy of the extreme right is unfounded and contemptuous.”
JDD editorial workers again demanded legal and editorial independence, noted Les Echos (July 24). What they are left with, it seems, is negotiated departures. When Vivendi effectively took over radio channel Europe 1 in 2021 the ensuing strikes yielded only disgruntled employees leaving. Similarly, employee action at television channel i-Télé in 2016 disrupted, however briefly, its rebranding as CNews, a rightwing talk channel that had given time to M Zemmour before his failed presidential campaign.
The European Commission added its concerns, questioning whether of not Vivendi violated European Union rules by taking operational control of the Lagardère assets before official authorization June 9th, referred to locally as “jumping the gun”. “Companies must respect the commitments they submit to us, on the basis of which we authorize a transaction,” said Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in a statement, quoted by Le Figaro (July 25). "At this stage, the Commission has collected enough evidence to open a formal investigation procedure to determine whether Vivendi has complied with our procedures.” If that investigation, which could take weeks if not months, shows malfeasance on the part of Vivendi Commissioner Vestager can claim up to 10% of the company’s assets.
The patience of M Bolloré will certainly be tested. The French Parliament is moving forward on legislation to ensure independence for publications and broadcasters from the political agendas of owners. Included is a provision giving editorial workers approval rights over editor appointments under the pain of losing all-important state aid. “This is in reaction to what is going on at JDD but the general text is aimed at guaranteeing the rights of all journalists to give them a say on editor appointments,” MP Sophie Taillé-Polian, quoted by Deadline (July 24). The legislation, she added, has broad support across all French political parties except the far-right National Rally.