PARIS

Hundreds of public figures in France on Tuesday denounced the appointment of a new editor-in-chief for a weekly newspaper and said the publication "cannot become a platform for far-right ideologies." 

Four hundred public figures, from politicians to actors, signed a statement that was published in Le Monde in support of employees of Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD) who have been on strike to protest the appointment of Geoffroy Lejeune.

“Whether you like it or don't like it, whether you read it or don't read it, the ‘JDD,' with its qualities and its faults, has always remained attached to diverse opinions. It cannot become a newspaper in the service of far-right ideas,” said the statement.

As a result of the strike, JDD did not publish its edition on Sunday.

Lejeune previously ran the far-right Valeurs Actuelles magazine which stirred controversy for anti-immigrant covers and it was fined for a racist insult in 2022.

The magazine is also known for endorsing far-right politician Eric Zemmour during the presidential campaign.

Reporters Without Borders will organize a solidarity march late Tuesday at the newspaper's editorial office in Paris.

Arnaud Lagardere who appointed Lejeune defended his decision in an interview with Le Figaro that was published Monday. He said he made the decision based on “an economic choice, and not an ideological one.”