A Provence, the rebound of May 9 could not remain without follow-up. On Tuesday, May 24, Xavier Niel filed a request with the Marseille commercial court to suspend and cancel the approval given that day by the board of directors, to everyone’s surprise and after a incredible meeting, to the CMA-CGM buyout offer.
Time is running out: the hearing intended to ratify the sale of the newspaper should take place on June 7, at the Bobigny court. Already holder of 11% of the capital of the Marseille daily, the founder of Free (and individual shareholder of the Monde) wishes to acquire the remaining 89% held by the Bernard Tapie group, in compulsory liquidation.
A right of approval, negotiated during the lifetime of the former minister and previous owner of the newspaper (contested in January by the liquidators, but recovered in court on April 9), should have enabled him to take the advantage over his competitor, the CMA-CGM.
Delayed process
But, during this board of directors, the CEO of the newspaper, Jean-Christophe Serfati, had refused to take into account the votes opposing the desire to buy out the shipowner, the first employer in Marseille. Denouncing a “rough passage in force”, Xavier Niel immediately let it be known that he would not stop there. According to information from The letter awhat The world is able to confirm, it is now done.
The action obviously aims to prevent Rodolphe Saadé, the boss of CMA-CGM, from taking over the newspaper, even though the liquidators and all the representatives of the group’s employees have never hidden a clear preference for his offer. , best-selling (81 million euros, against 20 million for NJJ, the holding company of Mr. Niel).
It could, at the very least, delay the process. «Si Xavier Niel (…) has time for legal extremes to satisfy his desires, protest the CGT and FO unions in a joint statement released Wednesday, May 25, La Provence, Corse Matin, the 850 employees of the group and the health of the six companies that make up the latter, they no longer have the time for these procedures which endanger their future. »