Le Monde: Two bidders fight for the traditional newspaper

The first bidder is a group of investors favored by President Nicolas Sarkozy around the owner of the news magazine Le Nouvel Observateur, Claude Perdriel. The second is a trio critical of Sarkozy and led by the left-wing cultural sponsor Pierre Bergé. Contrary to the company's initial announcement on Monday, the publisher Groupe Revenu Multimédia (GRM) did not make an offer for the newspaper, according to Le Monde's management. Accordingly, the publisher of the business magazine Le Revenue and the trade journal Air et Cosmos merely expressed a general interest.
Even before the decision is taken, it is clear that the change of ownership marks the end of an era. Founded in 1944 in liberated France, Monde is the only French daily newspaper in which the editorial team determined its own destiny thanks to its shares. However, the Monde publishing house needs 80 to 100 million euros to pay its debts and salaries. Perdriel has formed an alliance with the partly state-owned France Télécom (Orange) and the Spanish publisher Prisa (El País), which already holds 15 percent of the Monde publishing house. The trio is offering around 140 million euros, reports the financial newspaper Challenges, which is owned by Perdriel. France Télécom wants to contribute 50 to 60 million euros and is particularly interested in the internet business Le Monde Interactif. Bergé is joining forces with the banker Matthieur Pigasse and the founder of the internet provider Free, Xavier Niel. According to Challenges, this trio wants to put around 100 million euros on the table. Monteux (Le Revenu, Air et Cosmos) wants to invest 150 million euros.

Fight for political influence
The bidding dispute is also being interpreted in Paris as a battle for political influence. Sarkozy had summoned the head of Monde, Eric Fottorino, and made it clear that he disapproved of a sale to Bergé and Co. Sarkozy is also said to have threatened to make aid for the modernization of the Monde printing plant dependent on the decision to sell. However, this is denied by the presidential palace. Bergé, who is close to the socialist Ségolène Royal, accuses Perdriel of being "propped up by the state" and declared: "A newspaper must not be subject to the orders of the president." Bergé wants to guarantee the freedoms of the Monde editors. Monteux, on the other hand, is calling for an "end to the privileges" of the editors.

(Image: Keystone)