Daniil Kretinsky wants to sell the weekly magazine “Marianna”

Marianna is for sale. The president of CMI France, Denis Olivenne, informed the editors on Monday of his desire to sell the weekly magazine of its owner Daniel Kretinsky, we learned from reliable sources. A source close to the matter said last week that the Czech billionaire was exploring the option of selling because Marianne’s now “radical-sovereignist” line did not suit the pro-European man.

On Monday, before the editorial office, “Denis Olivenne confirmed that Daniel Kretinsky has given him a mandate” for this sale, which should allow “sustainable funding for Marianne,” “protecting the editorial line” and “keeping Natasha Poloni in the editorial office if she wishes,” we said CMI France.

Denis Oliven “further clarified that Daniel Kretinsky was ready to support Marianne until the negotiations were successful,” the editors add in the press release. “The CSE (Socio-Economic Committee) and SRM (Society of Editors) will be very careful to ensure that the CMI group, Daniel Kretinsky and the future buyer fulfill these obligations,” she adds.

New winning formula

Marianne has been in an alliance with a businessman since 2018, who invested 20 million euros in him. Already the head of a small media empire in his country and a powerful energy group, the Czech tycoon has accelerated his massive investments in France. In November he got his hands on the second edition of Editis, sold by Vivendi. Since 2018, he has, among other things, bought the magazines of the Lagardère Active group (including Elle and Télé 7 jours), acquired more than 5% of the TF1 group and bailed out Libération twice without becoming a shareholder.

Those around him always insisted that he wanted to “help pluralism,” even if it meant losing money. And “if he refrains from interfering” with the editorial board, “he does not refrain from leaving them.” In March, Natasha Poloni denied any interference from the shareholder, in what she said was “particularly respectful.”

The weekly, created in 1997 by journalists Jean-François Kahn and Maurice Saffron, has 55 press cards. At the initiative of the editorial management, a new formula was launched in March: the page numbering was halved and the price was reduced from 4.40 euros to 3.50 euros.

According to CMI France, the launch has been a success, with individual issue sales soaring and print and digital subscriptions beginning to rise again. With 129,000 copies sold in 2023, Marianne magazine’s circulation fell 1.3% compared to 2022. It remains behind its competitors Le Point, L’Obs and L’Express. Last year the magazine lost €3 million on a turnover of €12 million.