"Le Monde", one of the most traditional newspapers in France, came to be controlled by a new group of businessmen. Among them is the owner of the gay magazine "Têtu", Pierre Bergé. Bergé is joined by banker Matthieu Pigasse and Xavier Niel.
The purchase of "Le Monde" had been speculated for a long time, but only last Monday (28/06) was it approved by journalists and the group's management. In an official statement, "Le Monde" reported the trio's victory after Orange-France Telecom and Nouvel Observateur withdrew their offers.
The confirmation of the new controlling group of "Le Monde" was met with negative criticism from French President Nikolas Sarkozy. In fact, the name that bothered Sarkozy was Pierre Bergé, as he ideologically and financially supported the presidential campaign of socialist Ségoléne Royal, who ran for president of France with Sarkozy in 2007.
