Robert Hersant
Encyclopedia
Robert Hersant was a French newspaper magnate with right-wing political views.
, Loire-Atlantique
.
Initially involved with the Socialist Youth movement in 1935, Robert Hersant founded the rightist political party Jeune Front in the summer 1940. During that period, he became a friend of Jean-Marie Balestre
. Jeune Front although a small group, was publishing the rabidly pro-Nazi newspaper Au Pilori
. He left this movement in October 1940, to become a member of the secretariat general de la jeunesse of the Vichy Regime. In 1941-1942, he created a camp in Brévannes, named after the Marshall Philippe Pétain
to indoctrinate young people in the Révolution nationale
ideology. Although he managed to escape the first waves of the Épuration légale
, he was arrested and jailed for one month in Fresnes on June 15, 1945. He was tried in 1947 and sentenced to 10 years of national indignity for collaboration
with Nazi Germany
. The court emphasized that Jeune Front had received support from the Nazis as early as August 1940 to justify that sentence.
Due to this collaborationist past, satirical papers would misspell Hersant's name Herr Sant. In 1952, however, he benefited from the general amnesty
.
His condemnation for collaborationism did not stop him from starting in the business of publishing.
After launching a few unsuccessful publications, (Bazars et Galeries, l'Equipement Ménager, le Quincailler), in 1950, he started L'Auto-Journal
, which met success due to the increasing popularity of automobile
s. In October 1952, he bought la semaine de l'Oise and used it to launch his political career. In February 1953, he was elected mayor of Ravenel, Oise
, and in January 1956 he ran for a deputy seat in the Assemblée Nationale as a radical candidate. He was elected with the support of French Section of the Workers' International (SFIO) and Democratic and Socialist Union of the Resistance
(UDSR). However, on April 18, 1956 his election caused a heated debate at the Assemblée Nationale due to his collaborationist past. The Assemblée Nationale cancelled his election, but on October 25, 1956 he was reelected. As a deputy, Robert Hersant championed a reform of the constitution of 1946, altering the articles 45, 46, 47, 48 and 52. It would have permitted the direct election of the Président du Conseil, and would have obliged him to form his cabinet from personalities that did not belong to legislative bodies. He also advocated a partition
of Algeria
as a solution to the Algerian War. In 1958, Hersant became Gaullist. In 1967, he was elected as a socialist with the Federation of the Democratic and Socialist Left
. He then became a conservative supporting Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
. He remained a deputy until 1978. In 1984, he became a deputy in the European Parliament
on the Rally for the Republic
–Union for French Democracy
(RPR/UDF) list led by Simone Veil
. He remained a European Deputy until his death.
He gradually built his empire by buying or creating local or regional newspapers through his holding company Socpresse
(and its associate France-Antilles
). In 1957, he created Centre Presse and in 1964, France-Antilles
. Robert Hersant also took control of various regional titles such as Le Courrier de l'Ouest, Nord Matin (bought in 1967), Paris Normandie (bought in 1972), Nord Eclair (bought in 1975, and merged with Nord Matin).
In 1975, he purchased from Jean Prouvost the great conservative
newspaper le Figaro
(with the help of Pierre Juillet and Marie-France Garaud, then adviser of Jacques Chirac
), in 1976 the popular daily France-Soir, and in 1980 acquired "L'Aurore" from the estate of Marcel Boussac
. At the time, it was alleged that the president Giscard d'Estaing had facilitated the obtaining of loans by Hersant in order to have the three Parisian newspapers (totalling 1.06 million in circulation) controlled by a political ally. In 1979, Hersant launched Le Figaro-Magazine, a weekly supplement of Le Figaro, headed by Louis Pauwels
. In 1980, Le Figaro absorbed L'Aurore. In 1983, Hersant bought Le Dauphiné Libéré
, in 1986, Le Progrès de Lyon and l'Union de Reims, and in 1987 Les Nouvelles Calédoniennes
. As a result, in 1986, according to Daniel Singer
, he was controlling 38% of the national press, and 26% of the regional press in France.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall
, Hersant extended his activities to eastern Europe. In 1991, he bought Magyar Nemzet
(Hungary), 51% of Rzeczpospolita
(Poland), Tempo
, Dziennik Baltycki, Dziennik Lodzki, Trybuna Slaska
, Express Ilustrowany, Wieczor Wybrzeza, Dziennik Zachodni
and Gazeta Krakowska
. This large number of acquisitions gained him the nicknames of Citizen H and Le Papivore in the satirist Le Canard enchaîné
.
In 1987, he was involved with Silvio Berlusconi
in the launching of the La Cinq
TV-channel. He withdrew in 1990 after suffering serious losses. La Cinq
collapsed in 1992.
Robert Hersant's group was, in 1996, employing 8,000 persons, and generating a revenue of 6 billion French francs.
He died at Saint-Cloud
in 1996. After his death of Hersant, Socpresse
was sold to Serge Dassault
.
Biography
Hersant was born in VertouVertou
Vertou is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.It is located on the River Sèvre Nantaise, and was a historical town of Brittany....
, Loire-Atlantique
Loire-Atlantique
Loire-Atlantique is a department on the west coast of France named after the Loire River and the Atlantic Ocean.-History:...
.
Initially involved with the Socialist Youth movement in 1935, Robert Hersant founded the rightist political party Jeune Front in the summer 1940. During that period, he became a friend of Jean-Marie Balestre
Jean-Marie Balestre
Jean-Marie Balestre was a French auto racing executive, who was president of FISA from 1978 to 1991 and of the FIA from 1985 to 1993.-Biography:Balestre was born at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône....
. Jeune Front although a small group, was publishing the rabidly pro-Nazi newspaper Au Pilori
Au Pilori
Au Pilori, also known as Le Pilori, was an anti-Semitic newspaper published in Occupied France during World War II.The paper first appeared as Le Pilori, before changing its name through an evolution of the editorial team...
. He left this movement in October 1940, to become a member of the secretariat general de la jeunesse of the Vichy Regime. In 1941-1942, he created a camp in Brévannes, named after the Marshall Philippe Pétain
Philippe Pétain
Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain , generally known as Philippe Pétain or Marshal Pétain , was a French general who reached the distinction of Marshal of France, and was later Chief of State of Vichy France , from 1940 to 1944...
to indoctrinate young people in the Révolution nationale
Révolution nationale
The Révolution nationale was the official ideological name under which the Vichy regime established by Marshal Philippe Pétain in July 1940 presented its program...
ideology. Although he managed to escape the first waves of the Épuration légale
Épuration légale
The Épuration légale was the wave of official trials that followed the Liberation of France and the fall of the Vichy Regime...
, he was arrested and jailed for one month in Fresnes on June 15, 1945. He was tried in 1947 and sentenced to 10 years of national indignity for collaboration
Collaborationism
Collaborationism is cooperation with enemy forces against one's country. Legally, it may be considered as a form of treason. Collaborationism may be associated with criminal deeds in the service of the occupying power, which may include complicity with the occupying power in murder, persecutions,...
with Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. The court emphasized that Jeune Front had received support from the Nazis as early as August 1940 to justify that sentence.
Due to this collaborationist past, satirical papers would misspell Hersant's name Herr Sant. In 1952, however, he benefited from the general amnesty
Amnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
.
His condemnation for collaborationism did not stop him from starting in the business of publishing.
After launching a few unsuccessful publications, (Bazars et Galeries, l'Equipement Ménager, le Quincailler), in 1950, he started L'Auto-Journal
L'Auto-Journal
L'Auto-Journal is a bimonthly magazine created in 1950 by Robert Hersant and editor-in-chief Gilles Guérithault, devoted to automobiles. Notable journalists working for l'Auto-Journal were Roland Gaucher and Jean-Marie Balestre....
, which met success due to the increasing popularity of automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s. In October 1952, he bought la semaine de l'Oise and used it to launch his political career. In February 1953, he was elected mayor of Ravenel, Oise
Ravenel, Oise
Ravenel or Ravenel-sur-Oise is a village in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise.It is located about 70 kilometres north of Paris....
, and in January 1956 he ran for a deputy seat in the Assemblée Nationale as a radical candidate. He was elected with the support of French Section of the Workers' International (SFIO) and Democratic and Socialist Union of the Resistance
Democratic and Socialist Union of the Resistance
The Democratic and Socialist Union of the Resistance was a French political party found at the Liberation and in activity during the Fourth Republic...
(UDSR). However, on April 18, 1956 his election caused a heated debate at the Assemblée Nationale due to his collaborationist past. The Assemblée Nationale cancelled his election, but on October 25, 1956 he was reelected. As a deputy, Robert Hersant championed a reform of the constitution of 1946, altering the articles 45, 46, 47, 48 and 52. It would have permitted the direct election of the Président du Conseil, and would have obliged him to form his cabinet from personalities that did not belong to legislative bodies. He also advocated a partition
Partition (politics)
In politics, a partition is a change of political borders cutting through at least one territory considered a homeland by some community. That change is done primarily by diplomatic means, and use of military force is negligible....
of Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
as a solution to the Algerian War. In 1958, Hersant became Gaullist. In 1967, he was elected as a socialist with the Federation of the Democratic and Socialist Left
Federation of the Democratic and Socialist Left
The Federation of the Democratic and Socialist Left was a conglomerate of French left-wing non-Communist forces. It was founded to support François Mitterrand's candidature at the 1965 presidential election and to couter-balance the Communist preponderance over the French left...
. He then became a conservative supporting Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
Valéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing is a French centre-right politician who was President of the French Republic from 1974 until 1981...
. He remained a deputy until 1978. In 1984, he became a deputy in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
on the Rally for the Republic
Rally for the Republic
The Rally for the Republic , was a French right-wing political party. Originating from the Union of Democrats for the Republic , it was founded by Jacques Chirac in 1976 and presented itself as the heir of Gaullism...
–Union for French Democracy
Union for French Democracy
The Union for French Democracy was a French centrist political party. It was founded in 1978 as an electoral alliance to support President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing in order to counterbalance the Gaullist preponderance over the right. This name was chosen due to the title of Giscard d'Estaing's...
(RPR/UDF) list led by Simone Veil
Simone Veil
Simone Veil, DBE is a French lawyer and politician who served as Minister of Health under Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, President of the European Parliament and member of the Constitutional Council of France....
. He remained a European Deputy until his death.
He gradually built his empire by buying or creating local or regional newspapers through his holding company Socpresse
Socpresse
Socpresse was a French corporation which controlled the conservative daily newspaper Le Figaro, the weekly magazine L'Express, 40% of the weekly Le Journal du Dimanche, Valeurs Actuelles, and the football club FC Nantes. The company was acquired by the Dassault in September 2006...
(and its associate France-Antilles
France-Antilles
France-Antilles is a daily, French-language newspaper published in Guadeloupe and Martinique. The newspaper is owned by Groupe Hersant Média. France-Antilles. It also publishes a sister publication in French Guiana, France-Guyane.-External links:*...
). In 1957, he created Centre Presse and in 1964, France-Antilles
France-Antilles
France-Antilles is a daily, French-language newspaper published in Guadeloupe and Martinique. The newspaper is owned by Groupe Hersant Média. France-Antilles. It also publishes a sister publication in French Guiana, France-Guyane.-External links:*...
. Robert Hersant also took control of various regional titles such as Le Courrier de l'Ouest, Nord Matin (bought in 1967), Paris Normandie (bought in 1972), Nord Eclair (bought in 1975, and merged with Nord Matin).
In 1975, he purchased from Jean Prouvost the great conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
newspaper le Figaro
Le Figaro
Le Figaro is a French daily newspaper founded in 1826 and published in Paris. It is one of three French newspapers of record, with Le Monde and Libération, and is the oldest newspaper in France. It is also the second-largest national newspaper in France after Le Parisien and before Le Monde, but...
(with the help of Pierre Juillet and Marie-France Garaud, then adviser of Jacques Chirac
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
), in 1976 the popular daily France-Soir, and in 1980 acquired "L'Aurore" from the estate of Marcel Boussac
Marcel Boussac
Marcel Boussac was a French entrepreneur best known for his ownership of the Maison Dior and one of the most successful thoroughbred race horse breeding farms in European history....
. At the time, it was alleged that the president Giscard d'Estaing had facilitated the obtaining of loans by Hersant in order to have the three Parisian newspapers (totalling 1.06 million in circulation) controlled by a political ally. In 1979, Hersant launched Le Figaro-Magazine, a weekly supplement of Le Figaro, headed by Louis Pauwels
Louis Pauwels
Louis Pauwels was a French journalist and writer.- Biography :Louis Pauwels was a teacher at Athis-Mons from 1939 to 1945 , Louis Pauwels wrote in many monthly literary French magazines as early as 1946 until the...
. In 1980, Le Figaro absorbed L'Aurore. In 1983, Hersant bought Le Dauphiné Libéré
Le Dauphiné Libéré
Le Dauphiné Libéré is a provincial daily French newspaper known for its emphasis on local news and events.The paper is produced in 24 different editions covering events in eight French departments, mainly in the region Rhône-Alpes:*Ain...
, in 1986, Le Progrès de Lyon and l'Union de Reims, and in 1987 Les Nouvelles Calédoniennes
Les Nouvelles Calédoniennes
Les Nouvelles Calédoniennes is a daily, French-language newspaper published in New Caledonia since June 15, 1971. The newspaper, which is owned by Groupe Hersant Média, is New Caledonia's only daily publication. Les Nouvelles Calédoniennes does not publish a Sunday edition.-External links:*...
. As a result, in 1986, according to Daniel Singer
Daniel Singer
Daniel Singer was a socialist writer and journalist. He was best known for his articles for The Nation in the United States and for The Economist in Britain, serving for decades as a European correspondent for each magazine.Gore Vidal described Singer as "one of the best, and certainly the sanest,...
, he was controlling 38% of the national press, and 26% of the regional press in France.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
, Hersant extended his activities to eastern Europe. In 1991, he bought Magyar Nemzet
Magyar Nemzet
Magyar Nemzet is a major Hungarian newspaper. Its name literally means "Hungarian nation".-History:The original, moderate conservative daily was founded by Sándor Petheő in 1937. It fused with the other conservative daily Napi Magyarország in April 2000.The current newspaper is considered to be...
(Hungary), 51% of Rzeczpospolita
Rzeczpospolita
Rzeczpospolita is a traditional name of the Polish State, usually referred to as Rzeczpospolita Polska . It comes from the words: "rzecz" and "pospolita" , literally, a "common thing". It comes from latin word "respublica", meaning simply "republic"...
(Poland), Tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
, Dziennik Baltycki, Dziennik Lodzki, Trybuna Slaska
Trybuna Slaska
Trybuna Robotnicza is the name of a Polish leftist weekly magazine published every Thursday since May 10, 2006. Its circulation is about 20,000. Its current editor-in-chief is Dariusz Zalega....
, Express Ilustrowany, Wieczor Wybrzeza, Dziennik Zachodni
Dziennik Zachodni
Dziennik Zachodni is a regional Polish newspaper distributed in Upper Silesia. Its headquarters is located in the city of Katowice. Established in February 1945 by Stanisław Ziemba, it was initially a state-held daily...
and Gazeta Krakowska
Gazeta Krakowska
The Gazeta Krakowska, is the largest regional daily newspaper in Kraków, Poland, published five times a week in that city. Gazeta Krakowska was established on February 15, 1949...
. This large number of acquisitions gained him the nicknames of Citizen H and Le Papivore in the satirist Le Canard enchaîné
Le Canard enchaîné
Le Canard enchaîné is a satirical newspaper published weekly in France. Founded in 1915, it features investigative journalism and leaks from sources inside the French government, the French political world and the French business world, as well as many jokes and humorous cartoons.-Early...
.
In 1987, he was involved with Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...
in the launching of the La Cinq
La Cinq
La Cinq was France's first privately owned free terrestrial television network. Created by politician Jérôme Seydoux and Italian media mogul Silvio Berlusconi, the network broadcasted from 1985 to 1992....
TV-channel. He withdrew in 1990 after suffering serious losses. La Cinq
La Cinq
La Cinq was France's first privately owned free terrestrial television network. Created by politician Jérôme Seydoux and Italian media mogul Silvio Berlusconi, the network broadcasted from 1985 to 1992....
collapsed in 1992.
Robert Hersant's group was, in 1996, employing 8,000 persons, and generating a revenue of 6 billion French francs.
He died at Saint-Cloud
Saint-Cloud
Saint-Cloud is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris.Like other communes of the Hauts-de-Seine such as Marnes-la-Coquette, Neuilly-sur-Seine or Vaucresson, Saint-Cloud is one of the wealthiest cities in France, ranked 22nd out of the 36500 in...
in 1996. After his death of Hersant, Socpresse
Socpresse
Socpresse was a French corporation which controlled the conservative daily newspaper Le Figaro, the weekly magazine L'Express, 40% of the weekly Le Journal du Dimanche, Valeurs Actuelles, and the football club FC Nantes. The company was acquired by the Dassault in September 2006...
was sold to Serge Dassault
Serge Dassault
Serge Dassault is a French entrepreneur and conservative politician. According to Forbes magazine, he was the 96th richest person in the world, with a net worth of $9.3 billion....
.
France
- Le FigaroLe FigaroLe Figaro is a French daily newspaper founded in 1826 and published in Paris. It is one of three French newspapers of record, with Le Monde and Libération, and is the oldest newspaper in France. It is also the second-largest national newspaper in France after Le Parisien and before Le Monde, but...
- France-Soir
- le ProgrèsLe ProgrèsLe Progrès is a regional daily newspaper which is based in Lyon, Rhône. It reports primarily on local news in the Rhône-Alpes region.The printing factory is in Chassieu, in the agglomeration of Lyon....
(LyonLyonLyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
) - le Journal de Saône et Loire
- Le Bien publicLe Bien PublicLe Bien Public is a regional daily newspaper published in Dijon in north-east France. It is published by Groupe EBRA....
(DijonDijonDijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
) - le Courrier de l'Ouest AngersAngersAngers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
- le Dauphiné LibéréLe Dauphiné LibéréLe Dauphiné Libéré is a provincial daily French newspaper known for its emphasis on local news and events.The paper is produced in 24 different editions covering events in eight French departments, mainly in the region Rhône-Alpes:*Ain...
(GrenobleGrenobleGrenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
) - Presse Océan (NantesNantesNantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
) - l'EclairL'éclairL'éclair is an opéra comique by Fromental Halévy to a libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges.L'éclair was premiered by the Paris Opéra-Comique at the Salle de la Bourse on 16 December 1835; Jacques Offenbach was a cellist in the orchestra...
(Nantes) - Centre presse (PoitiersPoitiersPoitiers is a city on the Clain river in west central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and of the Poitou-Charentes region. The centre is picturesque and its streets are interesting for predominant remains of historical architecture, especially from the Romanesque...
) - le Maine libreLe Maine LibreLe Maine Libre is a French daily newspaper from Sarthe created in 1944. It is published 7 days a week, and counts 3 different geographical editions. Le Maine Libre's headquarter is located in Le Mans....
(Le MansLe MansLe Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
) - Le Havre presse
- Le Havre libre
- la Liberté du Morbihan
- l'UnionL'UnionL'Union is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France.It is a suburb of Toulouse, located just to the north east of the city.-History:L'Union was founded in the 1790s after the fusion of Belbèze and Cornaudric...
(ReimsReimsReims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
) - l'ArdennaisL'ArdennaisThe L'Ardennais was a French automobile manufactured in Rethel from 1901 to around 1903. The voiturette featured interchangeable water- and air-cooled cylinders for summer or winter use....
- Nord-Eclair
- Nord-Matin
- Paris-Normandie
- les Dernières Nouvelles d'AlsaceLes Dernières Nouvelles d'AlsaceLes Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace, commonly known as DNA, is a regional daily French newspaper covering the Alsace region. It was created in November 1877 as by German Heinrich Ludwig Kayser....
- L'Est RépublicainL'Est RépublicainL'Est Républicain is a daily regional French newspaper based in Nancy. As of 2003, its daily circulation was 206,970....
- l'Est éclair
- Libération Champagne (not to be confused with LibérationLibérationLibération is a French daily newspaper founded in Paris by Jean-Paul Sartre and Serge July in 1973 in the wake of the protest movements of May 1968. Originally a leftist newspaper, it has undergone a number of shifts during the 1980s and 1990s...
) - la Haute-Marne libérée
- France-Antilles Martinique
- France-Antilles Guadeloupe
- la Dépêche de TahitiLa Dépêche de TahitiLa Dépèche de Tahiti is a daily, French-language newspaper published in French Polynesia. The newspaper, which was founded in 1964, is headquartered in Tahiti.-External links:*...
- le Quotidien de la Réunion