Among the political books that are working at the end of 2024, there are three that are floating, far ahead of all the others, all published by Fayard, all Bolloré compatible. In the lead: Jordan Bardella with 139,071 copies sold for “What I'm looking for”, his first book published by Fayard. GFK Figures consulted Tuesday December 24. Just behind, Philippe de Villiers is on par with the current boss of the RN. The counter Memoricide displays 136,529 sales. The third is no longer active either, but the success of his 2023 book shows that he still has influence in political life: it is Nicolas Sarkozy with 84,000 copies of the Fighting time.
The others are far away even if Roselyne Bachelot does not have to be ashamed of the 27,000 sales of her Holy monsters! François Hollande's latest book, The Challenge of Governing. The left and the power from the Dreyfus affair to the present dayreleased in September, only sold 6,700 copies. Some 5,500 copies for Élisabeth Borne and Twenty months in Matignon, 1,700 for Boris Vallaud and Permanently. We can cite the 227 copies of Anne Hidalgo – the place of possibilities (2019), or the 75 by Marlène Schiappa: with a title that evil tongues would say predestined: “Our very small ambitions. For a revolution in women's success”, published last October.
Some 139,000 sales for Jordan Bardella, these are the GFK figures, figures used by all publishers, cash outflows from a few dozen test bookstores in mainland France, but therefore without Overseas, nor Corsica, nor digital books , nor “direct sales”, books purchased, for example, by the RN.
This is where we see the role of the National Rally which mobilized sympathizers so that they flood the sales sites with positive reviews, but which above all ends up offering a book to all those who make a donation to the superior party at 50 euros. As these donations are tax-exempt at 66%, it only costs them 17 euros, while they take a book worth 22 euros. 90. A very limited system since tax exemption assumes that there is no compensation. It's in the tax code, and the rules of the Political Financing Commission dictate that the gift must not exceed a quarter of the value of the donation. To get a book for 22 euros 90, you have to give at least 90 euros.
In any case, we retain this leading trio: Jordan Bardella, Philippe de Villiers, Nicolas Sarkozy, which confirms the increasingly close link between publishing and politics. Vincent Bolloré, not content with his positions in TV, radio and written press, monopolizes the three biggest sales in the sector with policies that benefit from the group's network and vice versa.
