“He left and we are still here…”: for his front page deemed too anti-Macron, the editorial director of La Provence fired

Aurélien Viers écarté de la direction de la rédaction de La Provence, la grève votée. Photo montage Fotojet

Aurélien Viers was laid off this Friday March 22, 2024 after a front page in the newspaper La Provence deemed too anti-Macron by the daily's shareholder. Following Emmanuel Macron's visit this Tuesday March 19, 2024 to the Castellane district in Marseille, for a communication operation on the fight against drugs.

"He is gone and we are still here…", we could read first page of Provence. Employees of daily life in Marseille  voted this Friday, March 22, 2024 for an indefinite strike, and a motion of no confidence in their general management, after the dismissal of editorial director Aurélien Viers in office for a year.

A la une de @laprovence de ce jeudi pic.twitter.com/d3w2loEnGh

— La Provence (@laprovence) March 20, 2024

The latter had been dismissed the same day by his superiors for an article deemed too anti-Macron, following Emmanuel Macron's visit this Tuesday March 19 to the Castellane district in Marseille, for a communication operation on the fight against drugs.

An "unlimited strike"

The general director of the daily newspaper Gabriel d’Harcourt, quoted by Libération, was corrected in this Friday's edition: "The quote on the front page and the illustrative photo that accompanied it may have led people to believe that we were complacently giving voice to drug traffickers determined to taunt public authority, which in no way reflects the values ​​and editorial line of your newspaper."

But this rectification did not stop the anger of the leaders of La Provence and its shareholder Rodolphe Saadé. Since Aurélien Viers was "put aside" for a week, pending an interview prior to dismissal which should be held next Wednesday.

The editorial staff immediately called a general meeting of employees. Participation in the vote reached 78%; 79% of voters voted for an indefinite strike starting this Friday, March 22."~60/em>

"We are scandalized, it’s incredible !"

Several elected officials close to the presidential majority are calling for the return of Aurélien Viers to his duties. This is the case of Sophie Manelli, elected from the National Union of Journalists, who says: "We are scandalized, it’s incredible& ;nbsp;!" before continuing: "If they fire Aurélien Viers, they will have to fire all the journalists. We don't understand how they can rely on this headline which gives the feelings of the inhabitants."