Latest news with #L'Opinion
Euractiv
6 days ago
- Business
- Euractiv
France secures €1.6 bln cut in planned EU budget contribution
Jul 17, 2025 05:51 1 min. read News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. France secures €1.6 bln cut in planned EU budget contribution PARIS – France has secured a €1.6 billion reduction in its planned EU budget contribution for 2026, lowering the expected payment to €27.6 billion, according to L'Opinion . Sources close to Budget Minister Amélie de Montchalin indicated that France's total payment to Brussels would be lowered from the €29.2 billion initially projected. If confirmed, the move would offer relief to Prime Minister François Bayrou, just a day after he unveiled his sweeping austerity plan aimed at achieving nearly €44 billion in savings next year. It also undercuts far-right Rassemblement National's (RN) core demand to slash France's contributions to the EU. RN leader Marine Le Pen said in a post on X that the French had 'massively' endorsed freezing France's contributions to the EU by 'by backing Jordan Bardella's list in the European elections', referring to her party colleague's strong performance in last year's elections. (Laurent Geslin) Euractiv is part of the Trust Project Topics
Fashion United
04-07-2025
- Business
- Fashion United
LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault acquires L'Opinion and L'Agefi
Paris - Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH (LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton), has acquired the liberal daily L'Opinion and the financial news website L'Agefi. LVMH already controls the Les Echos-Le Parisien press group and Paris Match. Sources close to the matter confirmed the acquisition to the press on Thursday, following a report in Le Figaro. LVMH, previously a minority shareholder in Bey Médias, the parent company of L'Opinion and L'Agefi, has acquired full ownership. The group intends "to provide the resources for the publications to grow". The transaction amount has not been disclosed. LVMH also acquired the shares of other stakeholders. These include the Thétys holding company of the Bettencourt family; the American investor, Ken Fisher; and Dow Jones, owned by media magnate Rupert Murdoch. Bey Médias will operate independently within LVMH. The governance of the publications remains unchanged. Nicolas Beytout, formerly the majority shareholder of Bey Médias, retains his role as chairman. The editors-in-chief, Rémi Godeau for L'Opinion and Alexandre Garabedian for L'Agefi, also remain in their positions. These announcements were made to the works council on Thursday. According to Le Figaro, Arnault had participated in the financing of L'Opinion since its founding in 2013 by Beytout. The publication was created to promote a resolutely liberal and pro-European stance. L'Opinion has been running a chronic deficit, unlike L'Agefi, a heavyweight in French financial news. The publications have a total of 150 employees, including 90 journalists. All jobs will be retained. "For a founder, knowing that the company will continue is important," Beytout, former CEO of Les Echos, told AFP. In 2024, Beytout entered into exclusive negotiations to open the group's capital to Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky and his media subsidiary, CMI France. However, these discussions were unsuccessful. In 2023, other negotiations for refinancing were also initiated with Kretinsky's competitor, Rodolphe Saadé (CMA CGM), also without success. In late 2024, LVMH acquired Paris Match from the Lagardère group, owned by another billionaire, Vincent Bolloré. This article was translated to English using an AI tool. FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@
The Print
23-06-2025
- Politics
- The Print
India is losing information war—US backs Israel, hosts Munir, but asks Delhi to show restraint
This comes after the US president loudly trumpeted his pretentious so-called role in brokering a ceasefire between Pakistan and India. Trump added insult to injury by hosting Pakistan Army Chief, Asim Munir, for lunch at the White House. This clearly shows that the so-called strategic ties between the US and India are pretty much superficial and transactional. While in the first case India was urged to show restraint, in spite of being the victim of terrorism for over four decades, no such restraint is being asked for from Israel, with Operation Rising Lion already in its 10th day. The US has even entered Israel's war, striking key nuclear sites, including the deeply hidden Fordow, in Iran. India's Operation Sindoor and Israel's Operation Rising Lion have much in common – in that both were actions to neutralise future threats. The similarities end there. While India focused only on terrorist infrastructure and military installations, Israel went further and struck key figures in the political and military hierarchy, as also nuclear scientists – who are technically non-combatants – in the safety of their homes. The difference in the global reaction is even more stark. When American generals openly admit that they consider Pakistan an ally in the war on terrorism, they are rewarding Pakistan for its policy of state-sponsored terrorism against India. Clearly, we have not been able to convince the global community to initiate any action against Pakistan, which is a fair indication of India's weakness in dominating the narrative and winning the perception battle – partly on account of an overactive and unbridled electronic media. Various articles by international media publications support this view. The Washington Post points out that some media houses created a 'parallel reality', fuelled by several military experts giving their views on the subject. An article in the French daily L' Opinion underscores the same point – while India won militarily, it completely lost the information war. And this helped Pakistan shape the narrative in its favour. On a different note, an opinion article by Ashley J Tellis in Foreign Affairs is downright dismissive of Indian aspirations, perhaps stemming from India's refusal to toe the American line. India did try to stage a comeback by sending seven all-party delegations led by senior leaders and diplomats from across the political spectrum to 32 countries, plus the European Union headquarters in Brussels, effectively covering 33 capitals. The primary aim was to highlight cross-border terrorism from Pakistan, and reinforce India's messaging on counter‑terror and self‑defence after Operation Sindoor. By then, though, the horse had bolted. Also read: Threats to India are not over. Why it must build fortress-like defences China's 'Three Warfares Strategy' What stands out is that winning the perception battle is a continuous, non-incident-related effort. It has to be a concerted policy drawn out at the highest levels, with the implementation left to various organs of the government, and clear directions on what is to be conveyed by whom and in which forum. Off-the-cuff disparaging remarks by ministers past and present do irreparable damage to the information war campaign. The 'Three Warfares Strategy' followed by the Chinese is quite enlightening. In brief, it entails: Information warfare: This facet involves shaping perceptions through controlled narratives disseminated via state-owned media, diplomatic channels, and global platforms. The objective is to garner international support for China's positions while undermining adversaries' credibility. For instance, during the 2016 South China Sea arbitration ruling against China's claims on territories in the region, Beijing utilised its media to label the ruling as a farce, thereby influencing global opinion in its favour. Psychological warfare: Psychological tactics aim to demoralise and destabilise opponents by exploiting their fears and uncertainties. This includes the use of disinformation, threats, and historical references to induce doubt and hesitation. During the 2017 Doklam standoff, China invoked memories of the 1962 border conflict to intimidate India – though unsuccessfully – in an attempt to sway public sentiment and political will. Legal warfare or 'lawfare': Legal warfare involves leveraging international laws and norms to legitimise own claims and actions and delegitimise those of adversaries. By framing its territorial claims and military activities within legal arguments, China seeks to gain diplomatic and legal advantages – as was evident when it dismissed the 2016 South China Sea ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, portraying itself as a defender of international law. Also read: India has only pressed the pause button on Pakistan. It needs serious behavioural change What India must do Apropos, projecting the country's image on a variety of issues is a long-term strategy covering a range of issues, which cannot be evolved overnight or limited as a response to a terrorist related incident. That we have not succeeded in isolating Pakistan makes it imperative for India to have its own version, incorporating: Integrated strategy development: Develop an integrated strategy that combines military readiness with robust information and legal capabilities. This includes enhancing cyber capabilities, strengthening legal frameworks, and improving credible media outreach to counter adversarial narratives. Psychological resilience: Building psychological resilience within the Armed Forces and the civilian population is crucial. Sadly, the Indian public is prone to mass hysteria, a negative trait that is often exploited by our adversaries. Training programmes that focus on information warfare and psychological tactics can prepare the public to respond effectively to adversarial strategies. Legal preparedness: India should strengthen its legal apparatus to challenge adversaries' actions in international forums. This involves training diplomats, defence attaches, and legal experts to navigate complex international laws and norms effectively. Public diplomacy: Engaging in proactive public diplomacy can help shape international opinion in India's favour. This includes transparent communication, strategic media engagements, and participation in international forums to present India's perspectives. While India's media landscape during Operation Sindoor was instrumental in rallying national support and conveying the government's message, it also faced challenges in managing the perception battle due to over-the-top reporting. The amplification of nationalistic sentiment, coupled with the spread of misinformation, was actually detrimental to the national interest, highlighting the complexities of information warfare in contemporary conflicts. While this kind of coverage might have swayed domestic audiences, it did little in terms of garnering support internationally. Moving forward, a balanced information warfare strategy, which identifies the various target audiences and themes for each, along with the modes of dissemination, needs to be formulated. A theme that works well for domestic audiences may fall flat on the global stage. Combining emotional resonance with factual reporting will be crucial in navigating the perception war, the campaign for which must start now. General Manoj Mukund Naravane PVSM AVSM SM VSM is a retired Indian Army General who served as the 28th Chief of the Army Staff. Views are personal. (Edited by Zoya Bhatti)
France 24
14-05-2025
- Business
- France 24
'Children are also killed by hunger': Papers react to risk of famine in Gaza
Emmanuel Macron 's Tuesday night TV address has left most of the French press a little confused. Le Figaro says that the president tried to defend his record. L'Opinion is also describing it as Macron on the defensive. The president had been relatively discreet in the French media recently. The paper says the interview was a very inconclusive end to Macron's media diet. La Provence is also unsure of what the president's message was. The paper says his interview was "without horizon nor solution". Aujourd'hui en France says that Macron seemed "powerless" after three hours spent defending his eight years in office, without providing much insight on the rest of his mandate. A UN-backed report published by experts on food security in Gaza has been widely covered in the press and features on front pages this Wednesday. Le Temps in Switzerland features a cartoon by Chapatte on its front page and reads: "In Gaza, children are also killed by hunger". The front page of L'Humanité is quite distressing and it accuses Israel of using hunger as a weapon of war. The BBC warns that the entire Gaza population is at critical risk of famine. The article says that aid groups have said the blockade could be a war crime and that it amounts to a policy of starvation. The New York Times, meanwhile, reveals that Israeli officers have privately admitted that Gaza is on the brink of starvation. Donald Trump is in Saudi Arabia on the first leg of his Middle East Tour. The Saudi paper Arab News is celebrating the "landmark visit" and highlighting Trump's promise to lift sanctions on Syria. The American press is unsurprisingly slightly more critical of his visit. The New York Times says that although Trump said he had secured $600 billion in Saudi deals, the details provided by the White House were vague and totalled less than half that number. Politico is looking at the star-studded cast in attendance during Trump's visit. It says that three dozen American business leaders were invited by the Saudis. Trump had said that the primary goal of his visit was to extend American business in the region. But the Guardian tells us that while the true value of Saudi investments in the US economy remain hazy, the Saudis' deals with the Trump family business are more obvious. A cartoon in The Telegraph illustrates Trump collecting deals for himself. The Times also has a cartoon that makes light of the apparent double purpose of Trump's trip. The Washington Post is similarly insinuating in its cartoon of the day that the US president is available for purchase. Finally, an unusual suspect is on the loose after breaking the speed limit for the second time in Switzerland. The Guardian is reporting on this piece of fowl play: a duck has been snapped flying at 52 km/h in a 30 km/h zone in Switzerland.
El Chorouk
13-05-2025
- Politics
- El Chorouk
Will Dominique de Villepin be the 'salvation of Paris' from its crisis with Algeria?
The escalating crisis in Algerian-French relations has created a pessimistic outlook for the future of these relations, which, according to observers, may not regain their hoped-for calm for at least two years, the remaining term of French President Emmanuel Macron's second presidential term at the Élysée Palace. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune had hinted in his interview with the French newspaper 'L'Opinion' at the impossibility of restoring calm to relations between Algeria and Paris under the current French president's rule. From here, those following these relations are trying to anticipate the post-Macron era, in light of the political discussions in France about the identity of those who will run in the presidential race to succeed Macron, who, according to the French constitution, cannot run for a third term. In this context, the latest poll in France conducted by the reputable 'Ifop' institute revealed that the potential candidate for the French presidential elections, former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin, is leading everyone with 51 percent of positive opinions, ahead of his counterpart, former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe, who received 50 percent. What is interesting is that the Minister of Interior, Bruno Retailleau, who has made targeting Algeria a political project, was not mentioned at all in the poll, while former Prime Minister Michel Barnier came in third place with 46 percent of positive opinions, and in fourth place, former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal came in fourth place with 45 percent of positive opinions. The credibility of this poll lies in the fact that it was conducted at the request of a media platform known for its far-right leanings, 'Sud Radio,' published on Monday, May 12, and its results were in favor of a personality who does not share the political orientations of the far-right. In fact, this personality, considered to be from the Gaullist current, is the closest personality from this current to the left, which currently controls the majority of members of the French National Assembly (the lower house of parliament). In President Tebboune's aforementioned interview with 'L'Opinion,' he had praised some moderate French political figures who have not received their due attention in the French media, which is controlled by financiers known for their far-right leanings, such as Vincent Bolloré. He mentioned Dominique de Villepin among them, considering him the personality who truly represents the legacy of Gaullist thought, which has a special vision regarding French-Arab relations, not represented by many current political figures in this current, referring here to the Minister of Interior, Bruno Retailleau, who promotes that orientation but whose actions on the ground are moving in the opposite direction.
