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The reasons for his entry into the "World", his vision of the press and GAFA … The Czech billionaire gave a long interview to "Echos".
More than an economic investment, "A citizen investment". In an interview with Echoes and published Saturday, November 3, the businessman and billionaire Daniel Kretinsky Czech, who has just acquired 49% of the stake of Matthieu Pigbade in the capital of World, came back on the reasons for its investment, its vision of the press, the giants of the Web – the GAFA: Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon … – or even the energy sector.
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Why does he enter the "World"?
In his interview with Echoes, Daniel Kretinsky regrets that the revelation by The world his interest in the daily did not leave him "More time to communicate properly".
Outraged "A deep intellectual interest in the issues facing the press today"he says to himself "Attached to the values of our societies" and worried about their evolution, taking as an example the rise of populism in Europe. "What matters is that our media are pro-democratic", he explains, baduring that "The press is not an economic investment, it is rather a citizen engagement".
Owner of the first media group in the Czech Republic, the businessman does not rule out synergies with The worldsuch as the translation and dissemination of articles on the Info.cz website.
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Does he want to buy all the shares of Matthieu Pigbade?
If Daniel Kretinsky is comfortable with the idea of owning only 49% of the shares previously held by Matthieu Pigbade in The world, he acknowledges that if he would sell tomorrow all his shares, he would consider " of course " to buy them back. "But that is not his intention today to my knowledge", he says.
Does the Czech billionaire intend to submit to the right of approval claimed by the newspaper's independence pole in the event of a change of control within Le Monde Libre, of which Xavier Niel and Matthieu Pigbade are the co-managing partners? If he recognizes that it is logical that the companies of editors, employees and readers ask for a right of inspection, he wonders: "Is this legitimate? It's to be discussed. "
Arguing that the capital of the World is now divided among several shareholders, he adds:
"It would therefore seem to me more logical to ask this question of a right of approval if a single investor were to take the entire Worldparticularly if he was in a position of potential conflict of interest. "
Could he be interested in buying the shares of the Spanish press group Prisa in Le Monde Libre? "If a shareholder goes out, of course, by definition, we would look because we are already a shareholder of this company. But it's a speculation today "he says.
Daniel Kretinsky adds that it is not up to him to decide what should be the editorial line of the newspaper: "My personal ideas do not have to interfere in the line of newspapers. "
Daniel Kretinsky, who defines himself as "Francophile", argues that he would not "Not honest to invest in the press" in Slovakia, where this man who made his fortune in energy is already " very powerful ".
According to the billionaire, "The media have a fight to fight over regulation" GAFA: "The consequences of the positions taken by the GAFA are largely underestimated. The regulation of the digital world escapes us completely, I would like to fight for a more just system. "
An impossible fight from the Czech Republic, "Too narrow a territory" : "If we can become a member of the media family in France, we will be more powerful to push these ideas. I add that the problem of non-regulation of the digital is broader and does not concern only the media domains. "
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Energy and its connection with Russia
The Czech businessman made a fortune in energy, but defends himself to be "The extended arm of Kremlin interests", arguing that the only connection between his company EPH and Russia is a single gas pipeline in Slovakia.
He also refutes the idea that he would invest in The world with a view to participating in the privatization of Engie, and contends that there was no "Beginning of a conversation with my teams on the hypothesis of an entry into the capital of Engie".
Does he intend to invest in energy in France? "By definition, I do not want to say no", he explains, even though "Pure investment in coal-fired plants is very unlikely".
"Our DNA was energy, but for two years we have seen much less opportunity"acknowledges the one who has also recently taken a stake in the wholesale chain of Metro stores.
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