Le Canard enchaîné
Encyclopedia
Le Canard enchaîné is a satirical newspaper published weekly in France. Founded in 1915, it features investigative journalism
and leaks from sources inside the French government, the French political world and the French business world, as well as many jokes and humorous cartoons.
's newspaper L'homme libre ("The Free Man") which was forced to close by government censorship
and reacted by changing its name to L'homme enchaîné ("The Chained-up Man"); Le Canard enchaîné means "The chained-up duck", but canard (duck) is also French slang for "newspaper"; it was also a reference to French journals published by soldiers during World War I.
It was founded by Maurice Maréchal and his wife Jeanne Maréchal, along with H. P. Gassier. It changed its title briefly after World War I to Le Canard Déchaîné (the duck without chains, or "duck gone mad" in slang), to celebrate the end of military censorship of the press. It resumed the title Le Canard enchaîné in 1920.
It continued to publish and grow in popularity and influence until it was forced to suspend publication during the German occupation of France in 1940. After the liberation of France, it resumed publication. It changed to its eight-page format in the 1960s.
Many of the Canards early contributors were members of the Communist and Socialist parties, but it shed its alignment with those groups in the 1920s. Its current owners are not tied to any political or economic group. It now avoids any political alignment, and has gained a reputation for publishing incriminating stories and criticizing any political party with no preference. It is also fairly anti-clerical and lampoons the nobility
. The Canard does not accept any advertisements. In the 1920s, it used to publish free advertisement for Le Crapouillot
, another satirical magazine created by Jean Galtier-Boissière
, a friend of Maurice Maréchal. Similarly, Le Crapouillot
was carrying free advertisements for the Canard. The relations between the two magazines soured during the Spanish Civil War
as Maréchal was supporting the republican government of Madrid, while Galtier-Boissière was strictly pacifist.
's "Beauf" comic strip, and literary, theater, opera and film criticism. One section, called l'Album de la Comtesse, is dedicated to spoonerism
s.
The Canard is notable because of its focus on scandals in French governmental
and business circles, although it does also cover other countries. Although they became more aggressive during François Mitterrand
's presidency, major French newspapers are traditionally reluctant to challenge government corruption or pursue embarrassing scandals (the rationale being that revealing political or business scandals only profits extremists of the far-left or far-right); hence, the Canard fills that gap. The Canard publishes insider knowledge on politicians and leaks from administration officials, including information from whistle-blowers. Generally, the Canard is well informed about happenings within the world of French politics. Its revelations have sometimes brought about the resignation of cabinet ministers.
Some of the information published by the Canard clearly comes from very well-placed sources, likely including ministerial aides. Charles de Gaulle
was a frequent target; he was known to ask, "What does the bird have to say?" (Que dit le volatile?) every Wednesday – the day Canard would roll off the presses. There are often verbatim and off-the-record quotes from major politicians, including the president and prime minister, usually aimed at another politician.
The paper's international coverage was spotty, though it has improved. It relies mostly on leaks from French government services and reports from the other media.
It also publishes satirical
cartoon
s and jokes. The factual and jocular columns are cleanly delineated.
, describing her bohemian-bourgeois reactions towards events involving her husband, President Nicolas Sarkozy
), its famous sections of press clippings (typos and malapropisms found in the French press) rue des petites perles and à travers la presse déchaînée, its two most absurd or incomprehensible sentences of the week by politicians the mur du çon and the noix d'honneur, as well as its Sur l'Album de la Comtesse section of comic, cryptic spoonerism
s. During the 1960s, André Ribaud and the cartoonist Moisan created a series, La Cour, which was a parody of Louis de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon
's Memoirs on the Reign of Louis XIV. Charles de Gaulle
was turned into the king, and the deputies and the senators into courtiers. Thus, in La Cour, François Mitterrand
became the ever scheming count of Château-Chinon
. In La Cour, the king would address his subjects by means of the étranges lucarnes (strange windows), a phrase de Gaulle had employed about television.
After the death of de Gaulle, La Cour became La Régence with Georges Pompidou
being the regent
. This followed the Memoirs of Saint-Simon, which also extend into the Regency of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
that followed the death of Louis XIV. After the death of Georges Pompidou, La Régence was stopped.
The Canard also reports on topics affecting the general population: scandals in industries (workforce, safety issues), miscarriages of justice, bad behavior of public administrations and services...
, it has its own language, jargon
and style. In particular, it has nicknames for politicians and personalities.
Some examples include:
' s cartoonists include:
Past cartoonists included:
It also publishes a quarterly magazine, Les Dossiers du Canard, dedicated to one subject, usually one affecting French society, or world events as seen from a French perspective.
men of the Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DST), disguised as plumber
s, were caught trying to install a spy microphone in the directorial office of Le Canard. The resulting scandal forced Interior Minister Raymond Marcellin
to leave the government, though it is said that Marcellin was a scapegoat
for other members of the government, especially the Defense Minister, who was intent on knowing the identities of informers for the newspaper.
of involvement in dubious real estate deals was followed by Boulin's mysterious death (October 1979), presumed to be suicide. Following his death, major officials publicly accused Le Canard enchaîné of the moral responsibility for Boulin's death, and there were broad hints the government might use the reaction to the Boulin death to seek stricter libel laws, as was done in the 1930s after the suicide of Roger Salengro
.
Jacques Chaban-Delmas
, then President of the National Assembly, who had been politically identified with Boulin for many years, told a special memorial session of the assembly that it should "draw the lessons of this tragedy, of this assassination". After meeting with President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
, Prime Minister Raymond Barre
called for "meditation upon the consequences of certain ignominies", and spoke of "a baseness". President Giscard d'Estaing also added to the criticism: Boulin, he said, "was unable to resist the campaign of harassment he was subjected to. Public opinion should severely condemn any other similar campaigns."
Because it does not accept advertisements (being free of sponsors), being entirely privately owned (the same,) and because its publishing costs are met by its sales, Le Canard Enchaîné is considered one of (if not the) most objective French publication - hence its continued existence. However, due to its budget constraints, it cannot afford to develop from its main medium (paper and ink), and is barely present on the Web.
Investigative journalism
Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, often involving crime, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years researching and preparing a report. Investigative journalism...
and leaks from sources inside the French government, the French political world and the French business world, as well as many jokes and humorous cartoons.
Early history
The name is a reference to Radical Georges ClemenceauGeorges Clemenceau
Georges Benjamin Clemenceau was a French statesman, physician and journalist. He served as the Prime Minister of France from 1906 to 1909, and again from 1917 to 1920. For nearly the final year of World War I he led France, and was one of the major voices behind the Treaty of Versailles at the...
's newspaper L'homme libre ("The Free Man") which was forced to close by government censorship
Censorship in France
France has a long history of governmental censorship, particularly in the 16th to 18th centuries, but today freedom of press is guaranteed by the French Constitution and instances of governmental censorship are relatively limited and isolated....
and reacted by changing its name to L'homme enchaîné ("The Chained-up Man"); Le Canard enchaîné means "The chained-up duck", but canard (duck) is also French slang for "newspaper"; it was also a reference to French journals published by soldiers during World War I.
It was founded by Maurice Maréchal and his wife Jeanne Maréchal, along with H. P. Gassier. It changed its title briefly after World War I to Le Canard Déchaîné (the duck without chains, or "duck gone mad" in slang), to celebrate the end of military censorship of the press. It resumed the title Le Canard enchaîné in 1920.
It continued to publish and grow in popularity and influence until it was forced to suspend publication during the German occupation of France in 1940. After the liberation of France, it resumed publication. It changed to its eight-page format in the 1960s.
Many of the Canards early contributors were members of the Communist and Socialist parties, but it shed its alignment with those groups in the 1920s. Its current owners are not tied to any political or economic group. It now avoids any political alignment, and has gained a reputation for publishing incriminating stories and criticizing any political party with no preference. It is also fairly anti-clerical and lampoons the nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
. The Canard does not accept any advertisements. In the 1920s, it used to publish free advertisement for Le Crapouillot
Le Crapouillot
Le Crapouillot was a French magazine started by Jean Galtier-Boissière as a satiric publication in France, during World War I. In the trenches during WWI, the affectionate term for le petit crapaud, "the little toad" was used by French soldiers, the poilus, to designate small...
, another satirical magazine created by Jean Galtier-Boissière
Jean Galtier-Boissière
Jean Galtier-Boissière was a writer, polemist, and journalist from Paris, France. He founded Le Crapouillot and wrote for Le Canard enchaîné.-Bibliography:* Croquis De Tranchées. 1917...
, a friend of Maurice Maréchal. Similarly, Le Crapouillot
Le Crapouillot
Le Crapouillot was a French magazine started by Jean Galtier-Boissière as a satiric publication in France, during World War I. In the trenches during WWI, the affectionate term for le petit crapaud, "the little toad" was used by French soldiers, the poilus, to designate small...
was carrying free advertisements for the Canard. The relations between the two magazines soured during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
as Maréchal was supporting the republican government of Madrid, while Galtier-Boissière was strictly pacifist.
Format of a typical issue
The Canard has a fixed eight page layout. Pages 1, 2-4 and 8 are mostly news and editorials. Page 2 is anecdotes from the political and business world. Pages 5–7 are dedicated to social issues (such as the environment), profiles, general humour and satire, CabuCabu
Cabu is a French comic strip artist and caricaturist.He started out studying art at the École Estienne in Paris and his drawings were first published by 1954 in a local newspaper...
's "Beauf" comic strip, and literary, theater, opera and film criticism. One section, called l'Album de la Comtesse, is dedicated to spoonerism
Spoonerism
A spoonerism is an error in speech or deliberate play on words in which corresponding consonants, vowels, or morphemes are switched . It is named after the Reverend William Archibald Spooner , Warden of New College, Oxford, who was notoriously prone to this tendency...
s.
The Canard is notable because of its focus on scandals in French governmental
Politics of France
France is a semi-presidential representative democratic republic, in which the President of France is head of state and the Prime Minister of France is the head of government, and there is a pluriform, multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is...
and business circles, although it does also cover other countries. Although they became more aggressive during François Mitterrand
François Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...
's presidency, major French newspapers are traditionally reluctant to challenge government corruption or pursue embarrassing scandals (the rationale being that revealing political or business scandals only profits extremists of the far-left or far-right); hence, the Canard fills that gap. The Canard publishes insider knowledge on politicians and leaks from administration officials, including information from whistle-blowers. Generally, the Canard is well informed about happenings within the world of French politics. Its revelations have sometimes brought about the resignation of cabinet ministers.
Some of the information published by the Canard clearly comes from very well-placed sources, likely including ministerial aides. Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
was a frequent target; he was known to ask, "What does the bird have to say?" (Que dit le volatile?) every Wednesday – the day Canard would roll off the presses. There are often verbatim and off-the-record quotes from major politicians, including the president and prime minister, usually aimed at another politician.
The paper's international coverage was spotty, though it has improved. It relies mostly on leaks from French government services and reports from the other media.
It also publishes satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
s and jokes. The factual and jocular columns are cleanly delineated.
Regular features
The weekly bogus interviews (interviews (presque) imaginaires) are famous, its weekly profile (Prises de Bec), its Journal de Carla B. (a comic imaginary diary of Carla BruniCarla Bruni
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is an Italian-French songwriter, singer, actress, and former model...
, describing her bohemian-bourgeois reactions towards events involving her husband, President Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
), its famous sections of press clippings (typos and malapropisms found in the French press) rue des petites perles and à travers la presse déchaînée, its two most absurd or incomprehensible sentences of the week by politicians the mur du çon and the noix d'honneur, as well as its Sur l'Album de la Comtesse section of comic, cryptic spoonerism
Spoonerism
A spoonerism is an error in speech or deliberate play on words in which corresponding consonants, vowels, or morphemes are switched . It is named after the Reverend William Archibald Spooner , Warden of New College, Oxford, who was notoriously prone to this tendency...
s. During the 1960s, André Ribaud and the cartoonist Moisan created a series, La Cour, which was a parody of Louis de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon
Louis de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon
Louis de Rouvroy commonly known as Saint-Simon was a French soldier, diplomatist and writer of memoirs, was born in Paris...
's Memoirs on the Reign of Louis XIV. Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
was turned into the king, and the deputies and the senators into courtiers. Thus, in La Cour, François Mitterrand
François Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...
became the ever scheming count of Château-Chinon
Château-Chinon
Château-Chinon is the name of two communes of the Nièvre département, in France:* Château-Chinon * Château-Chinon The two towns are neighboring each other. They were separated during the French Revolution....
. In La Cour, the king would address his subjects by means of the étranges lucarnes (strange windows), a phrase de Gaulle had employed about television.
After the death of de Gaulle, La Cour became La Régence with Georges Pompidou
Georges Pompidou
Georges Jean Raymond Pompidou was a French politician. He was Prime Minister of France from 1962 to 1968, holding the longest tenure in this position, and later President of the French Republic from 1969 until his death in 1974.-Biography:...
being the regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
. This followed the Memoirs of Saint-Simon, which also extend into the Regency of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Philippe d'Orléans was a member of the royal family of France and served as Regent of the Kingdom from 1715 to 1723. Born at his father's palace at Saint-Cloud, he was known from birth under the title of Duke of Chartres...
that followed the death of Louis XIV. After the death of Georges Pompidou, La Régence was stopped.
The Canard also reports on topics affecting the general population: scandals in industries (workforce, safety issues), miscarriages of justice, bad behavior of public administrations and services...
Argot
As with the British satirical magazine Private EyePrivate Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
, it has its own language, jargon
Jargon
Jargon is terminology which is especially defined in relationship to a specific activity, profession, group, or event. The philosophe Condillac observed in 1782 that "Every science requires a special language because every science has its own ideas." As a rationalist member of the Enlightenment he...
and style. In particular, it has nicknames for politicians and personalities.
Some examples include:
- Charles de GaulleCharles de GaulleCharles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
: Mongénéral, Badingaulle (after 13 May 1958, an allusion to Napoléon III) - François MitterrandFrançois MitterrandFrançois Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...
: Tonton [Uncle] (the codename used by the French Secret Service in charge of his protection) - Valéry Giscard d'EstaingValéry Giscard d'EstaingValéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing is a French centre-right politician who was President of the French Republic from 1974 until 1981...
: Valy, L'Ex (after 1981) - Raymond BarreRaymond BarreRaymond Octave Joseph Barre was a French centre-right politician and economist. He was a Vice President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs under three Presidents and later served as Prime Minister under Valéry Giscard d'Estaing from 1976 until 1981...
: BabarreBabar the ElephantBabar the Elephant is a French children's fictional character who first appeared in Histoire de Babar by Jean de Brunhoff in 1931 and enjoyed immediate success. An English language version, entitled The Story of Babar, appeared in 1933 in Britain and also in the United States. The book is based on... - Michel DebréMichel DebréMichel Jean-Pierre Debré was a French Gaullist politician. He is considered the "father" of the current Constitution of France, and was the first Prime Minister of the Fifth Republic...
: L'amer Michel [Bitter Michael] (from the popular rhyme La Mère Michel [Mother Michael]) - Michel RocardMichel RocardMichel Rocard is a French politician, member of the Socialist Party . He served as Prime Minister under François Mitterrand from 1988 to 1991, during which he created the Revenu minimum d'insertion , a social minimum welfare program for indigents, and led the Matignon Accords regarding the status...
: Hamster Jovial (an allusion to a comic by Marcel Gotlib in reference to his past as a scoutScoutingScouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
) - Robert HersantRobert HersantRobert Hersant was a French newspaper magnate with right-wing political views.- Biography :Hersant was born in Vertou, Loire-Atlantique....
: Le Papivore - Christian EstrosiChristian EstrosiChristian Estrosi is a French politician of Italian origin, member of the French Parliament , mayor of Nice since 2008. He is a supporter of Nicolas Sarkozy....
: Le Motodidacte (a reference to his past in motorbike racing) - Jean-Pierre RaffarinJean-Pierre RaffarinJean-Pierre Raffarin is a French conservative politician and senator for Vienne.Jean-Pierre Raffarin served as the Prime Minister of France from 6 May 2002 to 31 May 2005, resigning after France's rejection of the referendum on the European Union draft constitution. However, after Raffarin...
: Le Phénix du Haut-Poitou - Jacques ChiracJacques ChiracJacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
: Chichi, Le Chi - Bernadette ChiracBernadette ChiracBernadette Thérèse Marie Chirac is a French politician and the wife of the former President Jacques Chirac....
: Bernie - Nicolas SarkozyNicolas SarkozyNicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
: Sarkoléon (A portmanteau of Sarkozy with NapoléonNapoleon I of FranceNapoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
), Le petit Nicolas (Title of a popular seroes of book about the daily life of the young Nicolas) - François HollandeFrançois HollandeFrançois Gérard Georges Hollande is a French politician. From 1997 to 2008, he was the First Secretary of the French Socialist Party. He has also served as a Deputy of the National Assembly of France, representing the first constituency of Corrèze, since 1997. He previously represented that seat...
: Monsieur Royal (a reference to his one-time life-partner Ségolène RoyalSégolène RoyalMarie-Ségolène Royal , known as Ségolène Royal, is a French politician. She is the president of the Poitou-Charentes Regional Council, a former member of the National Assembly, a former government minister, and a prominent member of the French Socialist Party...
) - Jean-Pierre ChevènementJean-Pierre ChevènementJean-Pierre Chevènement is a French politician. He was Minister of Defense from 1988 to 1991 and Minister of the Interior from 1997 to 2000. He was a presidential candidate in 2002 and since 2008 has been a member of the Senate....
: Le Che
Staff
, the publisher of the Canard was Michel Gaillard, and the head editors were Claude Angeli and Erik Emptaz. The Canard- André Escaro
- René PétillonRené PétillonRené Pétillon is a French satirical and political cartoonist.Pétillon joined Pilote in 1972.Since 1993, he has published cartoons in the Canard Enchaîné and he signs them as Pétillon....
- CabuCabuCabu is a French comic strip artist and caricaturist.He started out studying art at the École Estienne in Paris and his drawings were first published by 1954 in a local newspaper...
- Jacques-Armand Cardon
- Lefred-ThouronLefred-ThouronLefred Thouron is a cartoonist and writer born in Nancy, France in 1961.-Biography:First cartoons published in 1984 in Hara-Kiri. Following, his work will be published in the weekly news magazine L'événement du Jeudi, the daily Libération, 7 à Paris, La Grosse Bertha, the legendary weekly Charlie...
- Delambre (see http://www.delambre-cartoon.com/)
- Martin Veyron
- Kerleroux
- Carlos BritoCarlos BritoCarlos Alfredo de Brito, GCIH is a Portuguese politician. He joined the illegal Portuguese Communist Party during the authoritarian New State regime , by whom he was imprisoned....
- WozniakWozniakWoźniak is the 10th most common surname in Poland .Notable people with the Woźniak surname:* Aleksandra Wozniak, Canadian tennis player* John Wozniak, musician...
- GuiraudGuiraudFor the 19th century French composer, see: Ernest GuiraudSaint Guiraud was a bishop of Béziers of the twelfth centuryHe is said to have been the second prior of Cassan Abbey. He served as bishop from 1121 to November 5, 1123...
- Ghertman
- PanchoPanchoPancho is a nickname for Spanish name FranciscoIt is also used as a nickname for Francis .Likewise "Pancha" is used as a nickname for Francesca, or Francis Pancho may also refer to:...
Past cartoonists included:
- Jean EffelJean EffelJean Effel, real name François Lejeune was French painter, caricaturist, illustrator and journalist. Mostly he considered himself to be journalist and political commentator. His pseudonym is created by his initials F. L.- Life :Effel was born in Paris and graduated in art, music and philosophy...
- Moisan
- Jacques Lap
It also publishes a quarterly magazine, Les Dossiers du Canard, dedicated to one subject, usually one affecting French society, or world events as seen from a French perspective.
The "Plumbers' affair"
On December 3, 1973, policePolice
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
men of the Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DST), disguised as plumber
Plumber
A plumber is a tradesperson who specializes in installing and maintaining systems used for potable water, sewage, and drainage in plumbing systems. The term dates from ancient times, and is related to the Latin word for lead, "plumbum." A person engaged in fixing metaphorical "leaks" may also be...
s, were caught trying to install a spy microphone in the directorial office of Le Canard. The resulting scandal forced Interior Minister Raymond Marcellin
Raymond Marcellin
Raymond Marcellin was a French politician.- Biography :The son of a banker, he studied law at the University of Strasbourg and the University of Paris. He worked as a lawyer for three years, before being called into the army in September 1939. He was captured by the Wehrmacht, but managed to...
to leave the government, though it is said that Marcellin was a scapegoat
Scapegoat
Scapegoating is the practice of singling out any party for unmerited negative treatment or blame. Scapegoating may be conducted by individuals against individuals , individuals against groups , groups against individuals , and groups against groups Scapegoating is the practice of singling out any...
for other members of the government, especially the Defense Minister, who was intent on knowing the identities of informers for the newspaper.
The Robert Boulin affair
A series of articles accusing long-serving Gaullist minister and possible Prime Ministerial candidate Robert BoulinRobert Boulin
Robert Boulin was a French politician who served as Minister of Labour in the French Cabinet and was at the centre of a major real-estate scandal that ended only with his death in mysterious circumstances...
of involvement in dubious real estate deals was followed by Boulin's mysterious death (October 1979), presumed to be suicide. Following his death, major officials publicly accused Le Canard enchaîné of the moral responsibility for Boulin's death, and there were broad hints the government might use the reaction to the Boulin death to seek stricter libel laws, as was done in the 1930s after the suicide of Roger Salengro
Roger Salengro
Roger Henri Charles Salengro was a French politician. He achieved fame as Minister of the Interior during the Popular Front government in 1936...
.
Jacques Chaban-Delmas
Jacques Chaban-Delmas
Jacques Chaban-Delmas was a French Gaullist politician. He served as Prime Minister under Georges Pompidou from 1969 to 1972. In addition, for almost half a century, he was Mayor of Bordeaux and a deputy for the Gironde département....
, then President of the National Assembly, who had been politically identified with Boulin for many years, told a special memorial session of the assembly that it should "draw the lessons of this tragedy, of this assassination". After meeting with President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
Valéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing is a French centre-right politician who was President of the French Republic from 1974 until 1981...
, Prime Minister Raymond Barre
Raymond Barre
Raymond Octave Joseph Barre was a French centre-right politician and economist. He was a Vice President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs under three Presidents and later served as Prime Minister under Valéry Giscard d'Estaing from 1976 until 1981...
called for "meditation upon the consequences of certain ignominies", and spoke of "a baseness". President Giscard d'Estaing also added to the criticism: Boulin, he said, "was unable to resist the campaign of harassment he was subjected to. Public opinion should severely condemn any other similar campaigns."
Famous investigations
- Marthe HanauMarthe HanauMarthe Hanau was a Frenchwoman who defrauded French financial markets in the 1920s and 1930s.Marthe Hanau was born in Lille to a Jewish family of an industrialist. She married, and later divorced Lazare Bloch. In 1925, she and Bloch founded an economic newspaper, La Gazette du Franc et des...
affair (1928) - Albert Oustric affair (1930, in French)
- Stavisky AffairStavisky AffairThe Stavisky Affair was a 1934 financial scandal generated by the actions of embezzler Alexandre Stavisky. It had political ramifications for the French Radical Socialist moderate government of the day...
(1934) - Cardinal Jean Daniélou's death in the house of a prostitute (1974)
- Bokassa's diamonds (1980s)
- The Canard fought to bring to light evidence of alleged corruption during President Jacques ChiracJacques ChiracJacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
's tenure as mayor of Paris. (see: Chirac's role in Parisian corruption scandals) - Yann Piat Affair (a former far-right National Front MP, assassinated on February 25, 1994)
- Contaminated blood scandal (1990s, in French)
- Affair ElfElf AquitaineElf Aquitaine was a French oil company which merged with TotalFina to form TotalFinaElf. The new company changed its name to Total in 2003...
–DumasRoland DumasRoland Dumas is a lawyer and French Socialist politician who served notably as Foreign Minister under President François Mitterrand from 1984 to 1986 and from 1988 to 1993...
(1998) - The Canard made efforts to uncover the NaziNazismNazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
past of former Paris chief of police Maurice PaponMaurice PaponMaurice Papon was a French civil servant, industrial leader and Gaullist politician, who was convicted for crimes against humanity for his participation in the deportation of over 1600 Jews during World War II when he was secretary general for police of the Prefecture of Bordeaux.Papon also...
. - The revelations by the Canard about Finance Minister Hervé GaymardHervé GaymardHervé Gaymard is a French politician and a member of UMP conservative party. He served as the country's Minister of Finances from 30 November 2004 until his resignation on 25 February 2005....
's lavish state-funded apartment led to his resignation in 2005.
Ownership
The Canard is published by Les Éditions Maréchal - Le Canard enchaîné (Maurice and Jeanne Maréchal founded the Canard), which is privately owned; the main associates are Michel Gaillard (CEO and director of publication), André Escaro, Nicolas Brimo, Erik Emptaz and employees of the newspaper.Because it does not accept advertisements (being free of sponsors), being entirely privately owned (the same,) and because its publishing costs are met by its sales, Le Canard Enchaîné is considered one of (if not the) most objective French publication - hence its continued existence. However, due to its budget constraints, it cannot afford to develop from its main medium (paper and ink), and is barely present on the Web.
Le Canard enchaîné in popular culture
- In the film L'Armée des OmbresL'Armée des ombresArmy of Shadows is a 1969 French film directed by Jean-Pierre Melville. It is a film adaptation of Joseph Kessel's 1943 book of the same name, which blends Kessel's own experiences as a member of the French Resistance with fictionalized versions of other Resistance members...
, directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, the character Luc Jardie (played by Paul Meurisse), while in London during the German occupation of France during World War II, imagines that his fellow countrymen will be truly liberated when they can see American films and reread Le Canard enchaîné, alluding to the censorship of the Vichy Regime.
- In the TV film Notable donc coupable(2007) (translation: Well-to-do, hence guilty), the fictional weekly Le Canardeur is modelled after Le Canard enchaîné.
See also
- Political scandals in France
- Private EyePrivate EyePrivate Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
- René Lefèvre (journalist)René Lefèvre (journalist)René Lefèvre was a French journalist who joined the satirical newspaper Canard enchaîné at the time of the Algerian War. In 1958, at Lefèvre's instigation, the paper created a special prize for Bernard Clavel, for his early novel Qui m’emporte...
External links
- Suzanne Daley, A Print Devotee Scoops the Competition in France, New York Times, March 25, 2011
- Official site (in French)
- A site about the Canard enchaîné (in French)
- More on the history of the paper (in French)
- Le Canard enchaîné (Lille School of Journalism)