The energy billionaire, boss of the Czech Media Invest group and indirect shareholder of the “world” could lend 20 million euros on a daily basis.
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Eclaircia in view for Liberation. According to our information, confirming that of capital, the boss of the Czech media group Czech Media Invest (CMI) is preparing to give to the daily jar.
It has been several months since its leaders do not have a mystery of their quest for new subsidies. At the beginning of the summer, the co -manager of Liberation and president of the Independent Press Holding SAS, Denis Olivennes, had even advanced the figure of about fifteen million euros.
deficit despite a positive financial dynamic (7.9 million euros in operating loss in 2021, against 12 million in 2020), the daily was supposed to find balance in 2023. The COVVI-19 crisis as well as that the increase in the price of paper participated that this objective would not be achieved. Especially since Liberation will have to start repaying the loan guaranteed by the State (PGE) of nearly 4 million euros contracted at the start of the health crisis linked to the COVVI-19.
Since 2020, Liberation is no longer the property of Altice France, but of the endowment fund for an independent press (FDPI), created by Patrick Drahi himself. While he was committed, during this transfer, to accompany Liberation for the time of his recovery, the owner of SFR (and therefore of Altice, who also owns BFM-TV, RMC, etc.) seems to no longer want Fill the holes. “He has already left 100 million since 2014, he would not be against the fact that we find someone else,” recognized a manager in July, in the world.
Capital and editorial independence
The placement of liberation in a fund guarantees to the newspaper its capital independence: it cannot accommodate a shareholder. To fly to the help of the newspaper, the energy tycoon had only two possibilities: either to do it in the form of a pure and simple donation, or in the form of a loan. According to our information, this second option was chosen. The figure of 20 million euros is mentioned. None of the protagonists of the file, however, wished to express themselves.
The boss of CMI (Elle, Marianne, franc-tiver …) will therefore not have Liberation. However, journalists will continue to jealously ensuring respect for their editorial independence. Just before the second round of the presidential election, the company of the editors of Marianne was indignant at a “unprecedented attack on his independence” after the billionaire of the energy intervened “directly” to have a “a” a ” “In order to accentuate his favorable character to Emmanuel Macron.
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