Neo-Bonapartism? A parallel between Nicolas Sarkozy and ...
Neo-Bonapartism? A parallel between Nicolas Sarkozy and ...
Neo-Bonapartism? A parallel between Nicolas Sarkozy and ...
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<strong>Neo</strong>-<strong>Bonapartism</strong>? A <strong>parallel</strong> <strong>between</strong> <strong>Nicolas</strong> <strong>Sarkozy</strong> <strong>and</strong> Napoleon III<br />
49 th ranking” (Télérama, 2010). Once the French contemporary media scene under scrutiny, it<br />
appears that to achieve the monitoring of the information, <strong>Sarkozy</strong>’s strategy relied upon the<br />
combination of three powerful mechanisms: an influential clientelism with the French media<br />
owners, a direct interference in the sector via its reforming, <strong>and</strong> finally a state-sponsored<br />
surveillance <strong>and</strong> repression of the journalists. On the clientelism chapter, <strong>Sarkozy</strong> did not create<br />
anything, but rather turned into his advantage the current organization of the media ownership<br />
in France. As explained by Sachs, “the concentration of media ownership in the h<strong>and</strong>s of a few<br />
well-connected industrialists has been building for years, but the circles of influence, wealth, <strong>and</strong><br />
political power have converged to an unusual degree in Mr. <strong>Sarkozy</strong>'s France” (2007). The happy<br />
few mentioned below happen to be <strong>Sarkozy</strong>’s closest intimate friends; accordingly <strong>and</strong> even if<br />
the president do not possess any media outlet, he can rely upon the support of his powerful<br />
network since “two thirds of all French newspapers <strong>and</strong> magazines are owned by the president's<br />
close friends Dassault <strong>and</strong> Lagardère whose affiliated company, Hachette, also owns most of<br />
France's publishing houses <strong>and</strong> a large part of the book <strong>and</strong> magazine distribution network”<br />
(2010) as explained by Willsher. The Guardian’s journalist proposes an even further description<br />
of <strong>Sarkozy</strong>’s de facto “media empire” through revealing the listing of his “b<strong>and</strong> of five loyal<br />
media musketeers”, <strong>and</strong> namely Arnaud Laguardère (Paris Match, Elle, Journal du Dimanche,<br />
Télé 7 Jours, Première Magazine, France Dimanche, <strong>and</strong> dozens of news <strong>and</strong> radio stations <strong>and</strong><br />
cable channels), Martin Bouygues (TF1, Eurosport, <strong>and</strong> a variety of cable channels), Bernard<br />
Arnault (La Tribune, Les Echos, Investir, <strong>and</strong> Radio Classique), Serge Dassault (Socpresse Group,<br />
Le Figaro, Valeurs Actuelles), <strong>and</strong> finally François Pinault (Le Point, Europe 1). Further<br />
investigations showed that <strong>Sarkozy</strong>’s circle of influent media friends encompasses other gr<strong>and</strong>s<br />
A website dedicated to this project is available starting Dec 7 th 2010 at: http://www.aui.ma/personal/~Y.Assaoui/<br />
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