It was a rumor that had been circulating for a few days, it is now official: Monday April 22, 2024, Denis Olivennes, the president of CMI Franceannounced to the editorial staff of Marianne the desire to sell the weekly by its owner, Daniel Kretinsky, indicates AFP.
A source close to the matter indicated last week that the Czech billionaire was studying the option of a sale, the line becoming “radical sovereignist” of Marianne not suitable for this pro-European.
Support until the transfer
Monday, in front of the editorial staff, “Denis Olivennes confirmed that Daniel Kretinsky gave him a mandate” for this sale which should make it possible to “sustainably ensure the financing of Marianne “, to “protect the editorial line” and “to maintain Natacha Polony as editor-in-chief (if she wishes)”, CMI France was told.
Denis Olivennes “further clarified that Daniel Kretinsky was committed to supporting Marianne until the negotiations are concluded,” adds the editorial staff in a press release. “The CSE (social and economic committee) and the SRM (society of editors) will be very attentive to ensuring that the CMI group, Daniel Kretinsky and the future buyer honor these commitments,” she adds.
A “small Czech media empire”
Marianne has been in the hands of the businessman since 2018, who invested 20 million euros in it. Already at the head of a small media empire in his country and a powerful energy group, the Czech magnate has accelerated his all-out investments in France.
In November, he got his hands on number two of the Editis edition, sold by Vivendi. Since 2018, he has, among other things, bought the magazines of the Lagardère Active group (including She And 7 Days TV), acquired more than 5% of the TF1 group and bailed out Release twice, without becoming a shareholder.
A new successful formula
Created in 1997 by journalists Jean-François Kahn and Maurice Szafran, Marianne has 55 press cards. At the initiative of the editorial management, a new formula was launched in March 2024, with pagination reduced by half and a price dropping from 4.40 euros to 3.50 euros.
This launch was a success, with single-issue sales increasing sharply, and paper and digital subscriptions starting to rise again, according to CMI France. Marianne had, however, lost 3 million euros last year (for 12 million euros in turnover).