The head of the political department of Le Monde, spouse of an Attal advisor, leaves her post

Europe 1 with AFP 10:58 a.m., January 29, 2024

The head of the political department of the newspaper

, Ivanne Trippenbach, announced on Saturday that she was leaving this position and changing departments in the face of "the emotion caused" by the fact that her spouse is an advisor to Prime Minister Gabriel Attal.

“I have always informed my employers of my personal situation”

“In view of the excitement aroused, I decided to leave the management of the political department of Le Monde and am delighted to join the department of major reporters,” wrote Ms. Trippenbach on journalist - each of my articles attests to this - everyone I have encountered knows that I do it with independence and freedom", she added.

In view of the emotion caused, I decided to leave the management of the political department of Le Monde and am delighted to join the department of major reporters.

— Ivanne Trippenbach (@ITrippenbach) January 27, 2024

"At every stage of my journey, I have always informed my employers of my personal situation, in complete transparency. This, from my point of view, is where the inherent ethics of journalism lie. No woman should ever be reduced to one's spouse. Whatever one's private life, one can be a free woman and an independent journalist," she continued.

At each stage of my journey, I have always informed my employers of my personal situation, in complete transparency. This, in my view, is where the inherent ethics of journalism lie.

— Ivanne Trippenbach (@ITrippenbach) January 27, 2024

Members of the editorial staff were concerned about a risk of conflict of interest

On Tuesday, the site Arrêt sur Images reported "turmoil" within the daily

since Rayan Nezzar, with whom the journalist has been in a relationship for several years, was appointed advisor, head of the action and public accounts department, to of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, January 9. Mr. Nazzar already worked with Gabriel Attal when he was Minister of Education.

According to a Mediapart investigation published before the announcement of Ms. Trippenbach's withdrawal, several members of the evening daily's editorial staff had been concerned about a risk of conflict of interest since her time at Matignon, and "a meeting of the committee of ethics and professional conduct of the Le Monde group (had) been urgently convened, Monday January 29, in order to resolve the crisis.