With FIVE by Cécile Wajsbrot, the European Alliance of Academies starts a series of contributions dealing with the topic of artistic freedom in different European countries. A kaleidoscope on the state of democracy.

Five syllabes – Vin-cent-Bol-lo-ré.

A man, from Bretagne, beautiful landscapes – wild and soft, sea and country. At the beginning active in paper industry, then maritime transport, banks, since the 2000 years a businessman investing in medias and patiently building an empire. A billionaire’s empire. To diffuse far-right ideas: ultra-conservative, ultra-catholic, Zemmour if it rings a bell to you. Even more far-right than Marine Le Pen, to put it bluntly.

Five branches media empire.

Television with Canal+, once a pioneer and innovative channel, now emptied from every substance, still investing though in cinema. CNews – a French version for Fox News – C8, well-known for its populistic shows.

Radio with the private radio station Europe 1. Almost all journalists on strike, which never happened before, 80 per cent quitted. But Bolloré can pay and so a new redaction has been build up.

Papers with Paris Match, a weekly magazine, le Journal du Dimanche, his last prey. 6 weeks strike, 6 Sundays with no paper. Also there did almost all journalists quit. New ones are now in charge. On the day after the earthquake in Marocco, JDD is for instance the only paper which doesn’t consider the event as breaking news. On the front page is the victory of the French team in the world rugby championship. With the title “Allons enfants de la patrie”.

Publishers with the Hachette group, one of the two main editorial groups in France.  And right now publishing a book by Jordan Bardella, president of the Rassemblement National. After protests, the SNCF just refused to do the publicity campaign which was foreseen for the book.

Last but not least L’Écume des pages. A bookshop. The last surviving signpost in the once intellectual district Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Where now only luxury shops stand. Till recently l’Écume des pages had been a kind of harbour on the boulevard Saint-Germain. After the acquisition the team posted a message on Facebook. We will do our best to advise and serve our customers. Business as usual. No more strikes, just acceptance.

Things do not happen out of the blue. It takes time to build up such an empire as it takes time to establish a dictatorship. Controlling medias is part of it – is the first step. Hungary knows, Poland knows, Italy knows, Slovakia, the list becomes longer and longer. It begins slowly, it begins with undertones, then the voices become louder, the words become clearer and one morning, you wake up and listen to the radio and hear it has happened. So suddenly, you think, how could it happen? But it was not sudden. What will happen has already begun to happen.