After the announcement of the appointment of Geoffroy Lejeune, close to the far right, at the head of the weekly, the minister considered that it was legitimate to be “alarmed” for “our republican values”.
“My concern is that a political leader, whoever he is, speaks about the future of an editorial office”judged the deputy of the National Rally Jean-Philippe Tanguy invited this Sunday from the program “Political Questions” on France Inter / franceinfo / Le Monde, while Rima Abdul-Malak expressed his deep concern for the “republican values” after the announcement of the appointment of Geoffroy Lejeune, close to the extreme right, at the head of the Sunday newspaper (JDD).
>>> The staff of the “Sunday newspaper” extends its strike against the arrival of Geoffroy Lejeune, former head of “Current Values”
“I understand the concerns of its editorial staff. In law, the JDD can become what it wants, as long as it respects the law. But for our republican values how not to be alarmed?”, wrote Rima Abdul-Malak this Sunday on Twitter. If the RN deputy judges “normal”, that “the minister guarantees the defense of rights” journalists from the editorial staff of the weekly, he believes that it should not “to give his opinion on an editorial line”.
My Sunday ritual was to wake up with the JDD. Today it does not appear. I understand the editorial staff’s concerns. In law, the JDD can become what it wants, as long as it respects the law. But for our republican values how not to be alarmed?
—Rima Abdul Malak (@RimaAbdulMalak) June 25, 2023
The arrival of Geoffroy Lejeune, fired from the far-right weekly Current values, as editor of the JDD caused a strike by journalists, preventing the publication Sunday of the newspaper controlled by Vincent Bolloré. “It is not a support of the National Rally”defended Jean-Philippe Tanguy. “Mr. Lejeune, everyone knows, very strongly supported the very conservative right with Mr. Bellamy, then with Mr. Zemmour, and Madame Maréchal”, he continued.
Reflect on “scops” of journalists
More generally, Jean-Philippe Tanguy wondered about “the relations between capital and the media in France”. “I am not at all opposed to the fact that there is a democratic reflection on who can own media in France”, he insisted. The massive investments of “Mr. Lagardère father in the media” or of “Mr. Bolloré”, “poses a problem”, launched the deputy of the National Rally. For him, “to not see” the links between “the capital structure and the freedom of journalists (…), it’s very hypocritical and it’s dangerous in a democracy”.
“Perhaps we need to think about forms of Scop (Cooperative and Participatory Society)”, suggested Jean-Philippe Tanguy. “The fact that journalists have their own media and are masters in their own home, such as Le Canard enchaîné, seems to me to still have to be discussed”, he developed.