We are "reassured by the fact that one of the prospective buyers makes such clear and firm commitments in terms of guaranteeing employment", "maintaining activities in Marseille, including printing" or even "independence. of the editorial staff, "write the four signatories of this letter of support, dated December 17, consulted by AFP.
Among them are the president of the Aix-Marseille-Provence metropolitan chamber of commerce, that of the Pays d'Arles chamber of commerce, the president of Aix-Marseille French Tech and that of the Confederation of small and medium-sized enterprises. (CPME) of Bouches-du-Rhône.
"This guarantee of maintaining the territorial anchoring of Provence on the whole of our region is for us absolutely essential to the life of the newspaper and beyond even to the democratic, economic and social balance of the whole of the territory. ", they continue.
They thus encourage the CEO of the shipowner, Rodolphe Saadé, to "continue in (his) plan to buy back La Provence", in which they assure him to support him "without any reservations".
Faced with the CMA CGM, the founder of the telecom operator Free, Xavier Niel, also positioned himself, via his holding NJJ, for the buyback of the 89% of shares held by the Bernard Tapie Group (GBT) in La Provence, of which NJJ holds the remaining 11%.
The companies of Bernard Tapie, who died in October, have been in compulsory liquidation since 2020.
As a minority shareholder, NJJ, which has already taken over Nice-Matin and prides itself on its experience in the regional press, enjoys a right of veto allowing it to oppose a candidate for the takeover of La Provence , but this is contested by the judicial liquidator of the Bernard Tapie Group.
The decision of the Marseille commercial court is expected on January 11 in this case.
© 2022 AFP