Editor-in-chief of French newspaper suspended after critical article about Macron, editors on strike | Abroad

Macron visited the southern French city of Marseille this week and announced an “unprecedented operation” to stop drug trafficking in the country.

Two days after his visit, a large headline appeared on the front page of ‘La Provence’ on Thursday: “He’s gone and we’re still here.” The photo on the front page shows two people with their backs to the lens while watching a police patrol. On the inside page, the full quote from the front page is attributed to a resident who commented after President Macron’s visit. “It’s funny that they mobilized all the necessary resources for the president’s visit. He left and we are still here, in the same hell.”

Aurélien Viers, the editor-in-chief of the regional newspaper, was subsequently suspended for a week. According to Gabriel d’Harcourt, director of ‘La Provence’, the photo and text on the front page can “mislead” the newspaper’s readers. “The quote and photo on the front page may lead people to believe that we are giving a voice to drug traffickers. That in no way corresponds to the values ​​of the newspaper’s editorial line.”

The newspaper’s journalists did not accept the sanction and voted in favor of a strike on Friday with 79 percent of the votes. The newspaper will not appear tomorrow/Saturday.