The date is symbolic. This Thursday, Vincent Bolloré was to retire. The Breton industrialist had announced it himself and had been repeating it in all tones for several years: on February 17, 2022, the day of the bicentenary of the founding of the group’s first company, he would leave all his responsibilities. Finally, Bolloré reversed its decision. Difficult to completely let go of the controls when you hold them so firmly.
“Sprawling Empire”
This did not prevent, for him “wish you a good retirement”, that a collective “Stop Bolloré” is being set up this Wednesday. It brings together “a common and broad front” composed of unions such as the CGT or Solidaires, associations, media and personalities marked on the left, such as the founder of Arrêt sur images – and columnist at Freed – Daniel Schneidermann, journalist Taha Bouhafs, historians Laurence De Cock and Mathilde Larrère or economist Thomas Piketty.
The finding is known. In a media landscape dominated by “a handful of billionaires”, Vincent Bolloré built “a sprawling media empire in the service of its reactionary ideological ambitions., denounces the collective, which held a press conference Wednesday morning at the Bourse du travail in Paris. In the line of sight: the CNews channel, “where outrageous controversy takes the place of debate” and or “the editorial line shows an obsession with far-right themes”.
“Immense danger”
Timing is important. The emblematic lawyer Arié Alimi, member of the League of Human Rights, wants to believe that “If we don’t react now, it will soon be too late”. The moment, he says, is “singular”. Without fear of sounding excessive, he adds that “everything can change”. Before continuing: “The tone is grave, earnest and a bit solemn.” Edwy Plenel, he is delighted with the operation. The director of Mediapart see there the sign of a “awareness” facing “tremendous danger” which represents “the logic of political domination and ideological oppression” led by Vincent Bolloré.
Beyond the media, the publishing world also fears being swallowed up raw by the Breton magnate. “Bolloré will soon own more than 70% of school books and half of paperbacks”, points to the collective. The 70-year-old man, enemy number 1 of journalists when they try to investigate his sulphurous affairs in Africa, is present on television with the Canal + group, the C8 and CNews channels and on the radio with Europe 1 In the press, it owns Prisma Media, the leading group of magazines in France, the JDD, Paris Match and the Havas agency in the advertising sector, as well as Editis in publishing.
“Calls for Civil War”
The initiative does not stop at beautiful formulas. Actions have just been launched, starting with a referral to the Audiovisual and Digital Communication Regulatory Authority (Arcom). In question : “A large number of shortcomings identified” as part of the show Facing the news, on CNews, in which Eric Zemmour participated every evening from October 2019 to September 2021. The man has since embarked on the presidential race. Two complaints have also been filed against X for “provocation to arm themselves against a part of the population not followed by effect” and “dissemination to minors of a message of a violent nature and likely to seriously undermine human dignity”.
The outrageous remarks of Eric Zemmour made on the channel of the Canal + group, owned by Bolloré, outrage the members of the collective because they very often constitute “calls for civil war” and at the “hatred of Muslims”. Their fear: that words translate into actions. “You can kill with words, writings”, underlines Jean-Louis Lagarde, lawyer of the Movement against racism and friendship between peoples (Mrap). For Samuel Thomas, the president of the Maison des potes, “there is a long list of far-right activists, some linked to Génération identitaire or the Rassemblement national, who have joined Zemmour and who have become radicalized in the last two years”. The television appearances of the former journalist who became a candidate “galvanized”, even “encouraged” part of the extreme right youth.
Other actions, in particular to challenge public opinion, are planned for the coming weeks. “A meeting is in the planning stage for the first half of March”, says Arie Alimi. A rally in the street is also not to be excluded. In January, Vincent Bolloré was questioned by the senators gathered within the framework of a commission of inquiry centered on the concentration of the media. He played the false naive there, assuring that “freedom of expression is something very important” and “all expressions are on the band”. Deliberately neglecting to quote Stéphane Guy, Sébastien Thoen or Bertrand Chameroy, ousted for having done nothing but use their freedom of expression.