The answer will not be long in coming. The day after the letter of support from Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris, to the independent bookstore L’Écume des pages, in the 6th arrondissement, the Vivendi group, controlled by Vincent Bolloré, who wants to buy the business, assured this Thursday that he wanted the sustainability of the establishment and its independence, in a letter made public by the group.
In this letter, co-signed by Yannick Bolloré (son of Vincent Bolloré), the director of the bookstore Loïc Ducroquet and Isabelle Durand, who heads the family company that owns the place, Vivendi explains that all three “share via this letter their intention to ensure the sustainability of this place of culture in the heart of Paris and to ensure that it preserves its strong identity, its independence and its eclecticism”.
The parties ready to present their project to the mayor of Paris
“Like the Olympia, the Théâtre de l’Œuvre and the Mac-Mahon cinema (other Parisian venues owned by Vivendi, editor’s note), Vivendi wants the Ecume des pages to remain a lively place for the expression of culture and diversity of editorial creation”, writes the group, which explains responding to Anne Hidalgo’s letter.
“It is a source of pride to take over from the Besançon family and to guarantee the durability of this emblematic symbol of this literary district and its accessibility to the most diverse audiences”, add the signatories, who say they are ready to present their project to the mayor.
This commitment to the independence of the bookstore comes as Vivendi, owner of the JDDhas just appointed as head of the weekly the journalist marked on the extreme right Geoffroy Lejeune, triggering an editorial strike for two weeks.
Vivendi continues to expand its media empire
Vivendi announced on Tuesday that it was in “exclusive negotiations” to buy the independent bookstore, owned by four brothers and sisters.
According The worldVivendi would be ready to pay 4.5 million euros, information to which the group, future owner of Hachette Livre, did not wish to react.
Vivendi recently got its hands, via Lagardère, on the media European 1, the JDDAnd Paris Match. He has also just announced exclusive negotiations between his magazine group Prisma Media and the Figaro group for the sale of the celebrity press title. Gala and must finalize the sale of the Editis publishing group to Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, according to an agreement presented in mid-June.