The journalists of “Marianne” accuse of interference their shareholder Daniel Kretinsky


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The society of editors of the weekly magazine published a press release on Tuesday evening denouncing the modification of the front page of the issue to be published on Thursday, so that it is less aggressive towards Emmanuel Macron.

“An unprecedented attack on its independence.” It was through a resounding press release on Tuesday evening that the Society of Editors of Marianne (SRM) accused the title’s majority shareholder, the Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky (owner of the CMI press group, of which Marianne). The object of the offense: the front page of Thursday’s issue, the last before the second round of the presidential election. Or the kind of very scrutinized coverage, with highly flammable contents. Initially, the writing “following two collegiate meetings involving the management and the entire editorial staff”, according to the press release, had chosen to represent Emmanuel Macron accompanied by the mention “Anger…” then, below, Marine Le Pen “…or chaos?” “A clear consensus had emerged to draw a factual distinction between the two candidates without dictating their conduct to our readers”, indicates the SRM.

But this is not the title that readers of Marianne will be on newsstands Thursday. According to the statement, after shareholder intervention, the front page will now show “Despite the anger…” on Macron’s face, “…avoid chaos”, about Le Pen. A title less unfavorable to the outgoing president, and more inciting to the blocking vote against the candidate of the National Rally. “This interference by our majority shareholder, Daniel Kretinsky, is a serious attack on the editorial independence of Marianne, writes the Society of Editors. However, he had personally pledged to journalists, on two occasions, to respect this fundamental principle. And so far he had done it.” Then to continue: “Only the editorial management of the newspaper is legitimate to arbitrate between several editorial choices.” Asked by Release, journalists from Marianne entrenched themselves on Wednesday behind the press release of their Society of Editors.

At the same time, the editorial director, Natacha Polony (who did not respond to requests from Release), also went there with her press release. It affirms its sovereignty in the choice of this cover. “In accordance with the principles which have always prevailed in Mariannethe position of the newspaper within the framework of the presidential election was defined by the editorial management, and it alone, she writes. However, I have decided to listen to all the sensitivities making up the editorial team, while being attentive to the wishes of the CMI group not to leave any ambiguity as to the position of our weekly. Also requested, the management of the CMI France group referred us to Natacha Polony’s press release.

As the press release from the Society of Editors reminded us, this is the first time that Daniel Kretinsky has been accused of intervening in the editorial line of Marianne. The Czech energy magnate, already the owner of several titles in his country, entered the media market in France in 2018, by buying Marianne and Lagardère group magazines such as She, then by making a polemical intrusion into the capital of the World. Recently, he also acquired 5% of the capital of TF1.

Suspicions of collusion

Appointed by Kretinsky as editor-in-chief of Marianne in September 2018, Natacha Polony quickly imposed a sovereignist and anti-liberal editorial line, which she wanted in line with the founder of the title, Jean-François Kahn. A line not so much to Kretinsky’s taste, therefore, very Europhile and rather in line with the politics of Emmanuel Macron, whom he described as “great talent” in the book Mister K. by Jérôme Lefilliâtre, journalist at Release. The Czech billionaire also confided that he would have preferred “that Marianne be a little more objective with Emmanuel Macron”. While also acknowledging that Polony “speaks to people who are the audience of Mariannein a consistent and honest manner”. In order to influence the public debate at the time of the presidential election, in November 2021, CMI France had launched a new opinion weekly, Maverick, more in tune with the liberal ideas of its owner.

Still, the accusation of Kretinsky’s interventionism by the editorial staff of Marianne fuels suspicions of collusion between media owners and Emmanuel Macron. Accusations already flourishing during his 2017 presidential campaign. Tuesday evening, his opponent Marine Le Pen was quick to bounce back on the case. On Twitter, she relayed the press release from the journalists of Marianne, with the mention : “Thank you to the journalists of Marianne to reveal the influence of money on the editorial choices of the media.” They replied with the content of their forthcoming issue, which describes the chaos (civil, state, diplomatic, etc.) into which his presidency would put France.





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