Leader from 'Le Monde’

Press, 19 June 1980, Page 16

Leader from ' Le Monde’

From the ‘Economist’

The election recently, of Mr Claude Julien as director of “Le Monde” France’s most illustrious -newspaper, ended months of courteous wrangling among the paper’s 180 journalists as they exercised their unusual privilege of. picking their boss. A-fight was inevitable: the director of “Le Monde” ranks as ohe of the dozen most powerful figures in France. Mr Julien, a veteran with 30 years’ service oh the paper who has been editor of its highbrow diplomatic supplement for the last'seven-years, kept his nose ahead from the

start of the election process last February, but in the first ballots against well-known news colleagues he never quite mustered the required 60 per cent support thought essential to underpin the new director’s authority. Later, fresh rivals stepped in front “Le Monde’s” starstudded news ranks. On Sunday Mr Julien finally squeezed past, the elusive 60 per cent mark in a two-man race with Mr Alain Jacob the pap-, er’s Peking correspondent. The cigarette-puffing winner, aged 55, is said to owe his victory to his debating skill. He made the strongest

impression on voting journalists when candidates were asked where they intended to take “Le Monde” a co-opera-tive in which the news staff shares the reins with the founding owners. Mr Julien’s creed came out as solidly anti-establishment, befitting the paper’s independent stance: “Anyone who tries to think and write has no choice but to reveal what the establishment is trying to hide.” He also pledged to give the journalists even more power in shaping the paper’s policy. At “Le Monde’s” diplomatic supplement, where he proved his administrative ability, Mr Julien earned a reputa-

tion for anti-Americanism. His left-wing ideas are also reflected in his • third-world sympathies. Nearer home, Mr Julien will be doing his best to pitch “Le Monde” against President Giscard d’Estaing in next year’s French presidential election (though he is not in fact due to take over as director from 'the quiet Mr Jacques Fauvet until the end of 1982). With a circulation nearing 500,000 — quite large for. a French quality newspaper ; — “Le Monde” has become increasingly assertive in recent months, adding a new column long on opinion to its staid front page. Mr Julien will keep that assertiveness, going.