The editorial staff and unions of Le Parisien sent an open letter on Tuesday to Bernard Arnault, owner of the daily newspaper via LVMH, to ask him to renounce a possible sale to Vincent Bolloré. They speak of a "catastrophe" for the plurality of information, in reference to the editorial transformations already carried out at the Journal du Dimanche and CNews.
Le Parisien is going through a difficult period, marked by a reorganization plan that includes the elimination of forty positions and an estimated deficit of more than 30 million euros by 2024. Journalists fear that the arrival of Vincent Bolloré, already present in numerous media outlets, will transform the identity of a publication born in 1944 at the Liberation of Paris. "Selling this editorial heritage to the Bolloré group would amount to giving in to a militant ideology," they write in their letter.
A project still uncertain
According to several sources, Bernard Arnault has spoken with Vincent Bolloré on several occasions, notably this summer in Saint-Tropez. The LVMH group, which also owns Les Échos, Radio Classique, and Paris Match, has not confirmed this information. The Breton businessman has never hidden his interest in the print media, which he considers a major lever of influence.
Internally, some observers point out that the arrival of Vincent Bolloré, far from being merely ideological, could above all offer a new economic boost to a daily newspaper in serious financial difficulty. The model deployed around Canal+ and Prisma Media has demonstrated a real capacity for restructuring and enhancing the value of loss-making titles.
While the Society of Journalists and the SNJ and CGT unions are alarmed by a "JDD scenario," others believe that the prospect of a takeover could guarantee Le Parisien a lasting future in a media landscape undergoing rapid consolidation. The issue is being closely monitored at the Élysée Palace, less than two years before the 2027 presidential election.
