The employees of 60 Millions de consommateurs They denounce a lack of clarity regarding the magazine's future, as the government prepares its sale to a private entity. Just weeks before a buyer is chosen, staff representatives say they are being kept out of the loop regarding the plans under discussion and are demanding transparency. The magazine is currently published by the National Consumer Institute, a public body whose liquidation was mandated by the 2026 Finance Law. This liquidation was supposed to take place by the end of March 2026, with the possibility of selling the monthly publication to a private buyer.
Employees denounce "the complete lack of clarity"
For employees, the uncertainty is at its peak. Lionel Maugain, journalist and SNME-CFDT delegate, states that the teams are in "Total confusion"Concerns revolve around the survival of the publication, its editorial independence, the conditions of its takeover, and the future of jobs. A decree published at the end of March stipulated the appointment of a liquidator for nine months, with an additional three-month period, extendable if necessary, to find a buyer. According to the Ministry of Commerce, no extension was required. However, neither the number of applications received nor their nature was specified.
Around fifty jobs affected
Social uncertainty is heightened by the fact that a job protection plan is to be launched for the approximately fifty employees of INC. Among them are some twenty journalists. The magazine also works with 28 freelance contributors on a more or less regular basis. Employee representatives deplore being excluded from the takeover plans. In a letter sent in June to Serge Papin, Minister of Commerce, the union representative and the elected members of the Works Council requested that the various offers be made public or, at the very least, communicated to the employees.
The works council is only consulted after the choice of the buyer.
The works council should only be consulted for its opinion on the selected buyer. The liquidator believes that publicizing the plans could jeopardize the sale. This position has angered employee representatives, who consider it unacceptable that a public service news outlet should be sold without the future buyer's editorial intentions, social conditions, and financial commitments being disclosed.
Editorial independence at the heart of concerns
The central question is that of the sustainability of 60 Millions de consommateurs and its editorial line. Employees want to know if the future owner will guarantee the newspaper's independence, its investigative model, its mission to inform the public, and the resources necessary to continue doing so. They are asking Serge Papin to make the planned projects public or to share them with employee representatives. The ministry has not commented on this request.
A magazine that has returned to profitability
The INC's financial situation has improved. After a deficit of €719,000 in 2024, the institute returned to profitability in 2025, with a profit of €236,000 on revenue of €11,9 million. The magazine had over 71,000 subscribers in 2025 and approximately 20,000 newsstand sales per issue. These figures fuel employee frustration with a sale conducted without any public transparency regarding the takeover plans.
