2023-06-29 08:30:01
Eric Ciotti, president of the Les Républicains party, in Strasbourg, June 14, 2023. MICHAEL ZUMSTEIN / SEEN FOR “THE WORLD”
If, in recent months, the leaders of the party Les Républicains (LR) have had the honor of the “one” of the Sunday newspaper (JDD), they are conspicuous today by their absence in the petition published on Tuesday 27 June in The world and signed by 650 personalities, to support the editorial staff on strike against the appointment of Geoffroy Lejeune as head of management by the Lagardère group. Until early June, Mr. Lejeune ran the far-right weekly Current valuessentenced under his leadership for public insults of a racist nature, but has become an essential part of LR’s political communication.
Read the forum: ““The JDD” cannot become a newspaper at the service of far-right ideas”, denounce 400 personalities
Unsurprisingly, the signatories are not recruited either from the National Rally (RN) or from Reconquête!, whose founder, Eric Zemmour, is a friend of Geoffroy Lejeune. If it was not sent to Mr. Zemmour, the petition was indeed sent to the main leaders of LR including Eric Ciotti. The president of the right-wing party declined and even displayed his support for the journalist, who he said was the victim of a trial of intent. “Incredible platform of all the good souls on the left on the JDD. According to them, the press can only be free if it is on the left. Support for true freedom! »wrote the deputy of the Alpes-Maritimes, Tuesday on Twitter.
This position is shared by LR number two, François-Xavier Bellamy. “I would be curious if Reporters Without Borders [qui coordonnait cette tribune] make us a list of people authorized to run an editorial office in this country”said the MEP, questioned Wednesday by Public Senate.
Discomfort with the situation
Other elected officials The Republicans take refuge behind the argument that they do not have to interfere in the choice of a shareholder or ensure that they were not aware of the petition. Some do express discomfort with the situation. But these words about their “commitment to the neutrality of the press” remain private. Resigned, the collaborator of an LR senator had warned the drafting of the JDD that he did not see who “would dare to sign with [eux] ».
The success was also not at the rendezvous with former party figures. Solicited, the president of Horizons, the former prime minister Edouard Philippe, did not affix his signature and advance not to have the habit of joining petitions. An argument also shared by his MoDem counterpart, François Bayrou.
At first glance, the left seemed unanimous. Following the revelation by The world of the arrival of Geoffroy Lejeune, the first secretary of the Socialist Party (PS), Olivier Faure, said to himself ” very worried “ for pluralism in the face of “a man’s will [Vincent Bolloré] to conquer a country ideologically. Fabien Roussel, the national secretary of the French Communist Party (PCF), assured the journalists of the JDD and their “courageous decision to go on strike”.
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