Paris (AFP)

"Maverick", a new political weekly self-claimed slayer of extremists, and backed by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, is launching a pre-subscription campaign on Facebook on Wednesday before its first newsstand release scheduled for mid-November.

His fight: "to denounce" the "enemies of republican values", summarizes Christophe Barbier, columnist for BFM-TV and ex-editor of L'Express, who will direct the publication with AFP.

This 8-page newspaper, which should sell for 2 euros, bears the name of a Resistance newspaper, born during World War II.

"We are under their distant sponsorship, but we cannot compare ourselves with the journalists of this period, we do not risk our lives", recognizes Mr. Barbier.

Among the subjects of predilection, the political or the international one.

"If we were already in newsstands, we would have written a lot about (Eric) Zemmour or rather against Zemmour," said Mr. Barbier.

This week, the newspaper would have mentioned Algeria, relations with France ...

He will not have pictures but four or five drawings.

The newspaper will also have two or three appointed designers and will open each week to one or two other illustrators.

His team, journalists, editorialists for the most part, like Mr. Barbier or Eric Decouty, passed by Liberation and Marianne, but also personalities from different horizons: the philosopher Raphaël Enthoven, the essayist and director Caroline Fourest, the former -secretary general of Force Ouvrière, Jean-Claude Mailly.

"Freelancers will deliver the surveys, a double page, devoted to various subjects, such as Islamist networks, Mélenchon", details Mr. Barbier.

"Franc Tireur" is counting on its pre-subscription campaign, from Wednesday to mid-November, to make itself known by as many people as possible.

"The newspaper will come out no matter what," warns Bertrand de Saint-Germain, deputy director general of CMI France, which belongs to the press group Czech Media Invest (CMI), founded by Mr. Kretinsky.

"Four or five different subscription offers will be offered, in a range of 50 to 500 euros, matched, depending on the case, with different gifts, such as meetings with the editorial staff," he adds.

Already at the head of a small media empire in his country and a powerful energy group, the Czech magnate Kretinsky arrived on the French market in 2018 by buying from the Lagardère Active group several major publications as well as its radio stations in Europe. of the East, then entered the capital of the World.

His latest move: the acquisition of more than 5% of the TF1 group last September.

© 2021 AFP