The race to recapitalise Le Monde took a new turn yesterday when it emerged that President Nicolas Sarkozy intervened against three businessmen who are the frontrunners to take over France's newspaper of record.
Mr Sarkozy summoned Eric Fottorino, editor of the cash-strapped daily, to the Elysée palace earlier this week to make clear his opposition to a takeover by Mathieu Pigasse, a Lazard banker, Pierre Bergé, the former business partner of Yves Saint Laurent, and Xavier Niel, the telecoms billionaire.
Mr Fottorino later told colleagues that the president had threatened to withhold state financing for a restructuring of Le Monde's printworks if the title was sold to the businessmen.
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