The weekly's editors' company had requested an “immediate end” to the negotiations, believing that the offer from businessman Jean-Martial Lefranc did not provide sufficient guarantees of the independence of the editorial staff.
New slowdown in the sale of Marianne. The CMI France group, owned by Czech magnate Daniel Kretinsky, announced this Saturday, November 16 “take note” of the cessation of negotiations for a resale of the weekly to the entrepreneur Jean-Martial Lefranc, after his challenge by the society of editors (SRM). In a press release, the media group (Elle, TV 7 days…) deplores “an unprecedented situation (which) places the magazine in an uncertain situation.” In July, previous negotiations for the purchase of Marianne had been arrested with the conservative billionaire Pierre-Edouard Stérin, rejected by the editorial staff.
On Tuesday, the SRM had requested “immediate stop” negotiations initiated with Jean-Martial Lefranc, ensuring that his takeover offer of 8.5 million euros did not provide sufficient guarantees on the editorial independence of the title and was no longer financially viable since the defection of a important investor. The entourage of Jean-Martial Lefranc, an entrepreneur who made a career in video games, reacted by deploring “radicality” of the editorial staff and considering that this «attitude» did not allow “to consider a calm and constructive recovery of Marianne to date”.
CMI France is committed to “finding a future” for Marianne
In its press release on Saturday, the CMI France group therefore takes note of this impasse and affirms that it will now examine “all possible solutions”, “determined (…) to find a future for the title, in consultation with the management of the magazine”. The group, owner of Marianne since 2018, “will soon indicate the main directions which could then be adopted”according to the press release.
“We welcome the end of discussions because we were very worried about the prospects for editorial independence. Our goal is achieved”commented Hadrien Mathoux, president of the society of Marianne editors (SRM), who still believes in the possibilities of finding a buyer. “We are obviously aware of the situation which is difficult but we think that we can find investors who will be both respectful of Marianne’s identity and able to provide the necessary funds.”
In 2023, with 129,000 copies sold, Marianne saw its distribution drop by 1.3% compared to 2022, behind its competitors The Point (291.000, -1,5%), L’Obs (190.000, -7%) et L’Express (144,000, -5%), according to the Alliance for Press and Media Figures. Marianne lost 3 million euros in 2023, for 12 million euros in turnover.
France
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