The State subscriptions still represent EUR 110 million

It is this week at the latest next week, that should be the election of the next President and CEO of AFP. It's to replace Pierre Louette, prepares to join France Telecom as early as Thursday. But the recruitment process is complex: no candidate among the ten who are declared themselves, seems to impose himself on the screening Committee. Its five members (two representatives of the State, two of the written press and a staff journalist) met Thursday evening of the last week, to stop a "short list" to present to the Board of Directors. But, according to our information, they were unable to reach a real consensus on the names to retain and continue to discuss, before a Board of Directors that they hope to meet April 15. The future President must bring together at least 12 votes among the 15 directors of AFP.

Ten people were reported candidates, of which four were considered most likely to be chosen: Bernard Cottin, fifty-six years, former CEO of Numericable; Louis Dreyfus, 39, former leader of "Liberation" and the "Nouvel Observateur"; Philippe Micouleau, fifty-eight years, banker-Board, former CEO of the Agefi; and Olivier Zegna-Rata, forty-one years, Director of external relations of Canal . According to our information, the representatives of the press to the screening Committee would have liked to dwell on two names: Louis Dreyfus and Philippe Micouleau. But the representatives of the State would be shown more reluctant in making a choice. The name of Emmanuel Hoog, President and CEO of the INA, a time referred to, would be back in the race. Presented by some sources as the candidate "pushed by the Elysee", it has not formally filed application. His name has been cited for the future Presidency of France television, and rumors now place the head of Arte. It was in any case difficult this week end to see clear in contradictory rumors that were circulating.

A heavy load

The representatives of the State are a minority on the Board of Directors (3 of 15). But the weight of the subscriptions of the State in the turnover of the Agency (40 of the total) is the voice of the public power is very listened of other administrators.

Uncertainty remains, therefore, the name of the successor to Pierre Louette, who will be the heavy burden of modernizing the Agency, its economic model and its status. Certainly, Pierre Louette succeeded in repairing the results: according to our information, accounts for 2009, which will be approved for end of April, should finally reveal a net result of EUR 10 million (of which 5 million euros of recovery provisions, passed in 2008 on a plan of departure finally abandoned), for a turnover of EUR 272 million. And the AFP provides this year net result at equilibrium (EUR 0.1 million) for a turnover of 270 million. The State subscriptions still represent EUR 110 million.

But many sites remain open: that the adaptation of the offer, then the classical dispatch does not hyperlink, either with other dispatches, with photos or videos; training, to adapt the personal developments in trades related to multimedia; one of the financing of this modernization, that the resources released by the Agency are not sufficient to cover; and finally status, that many are now inappropriate... but to which the staff of the Agency (including the trade union representatives) remain very attached.