France: EFJ condemns South Region President’s defamation lawsuit against Nice-Matin and physical assault of its journalist by elected official
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) project, stands in full solidarity with the French regional daily newspaper Nice-Matin, which is currently facing a defamation lawsuit filed by Renaud Muselier, the president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur regional council. The EFJ is calling on Renaud Muselier to drop the defamation lawsuit, failing that, it calls on the court to dismiss the case which we consider to be abusive, in retaliation to quality public-interest reporting. The EFJ also strongly condemns the deeply concerning incident that occurred a few days ago, in which Ugo Massi, a farmer and municipal councillor for the far-right ‘Rassemblement National’ party in Cagnes-sur-Mer, physically assaulted a Nice-Matin journalist.
On 18 July, Renaud Muselier, President of the Regional Council of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur announced that he had filed a defamation complaint against Nice-Matin for “publishing false information” about him, without specifying the information in question. He also stated that a formal notice had been sent to the media outlets concerned, demanding that they remove it. Renaud Muselier is seeking €2 million in damages to Nice-Matin, as well as €1 million from all media outlets that relayed the information. While expressing truth in the judicial system, Muselier further declared that “those political attacks will not go unpunished”.
After exchanging messages with Renaud Muselier, Nice-Matin discovered that the lawsuit stemmed from its reporting on an anonymous complaint that alleged an employee of Muselier’s chalet had been paid by a communications agency holding a public contract. The Marseille Public Prosecutor’s Office had opened a preliminary investigation into a potential conflict of interest, which was subsequently closed without further action.
“Reporting on matters of public interest does not constitute a political attack. We support Nice-Matin, whose reporting has upheld ethical and professional standards, including the presumption of innocence, and including invitation of Renaud Muselier to comment on all allegations against him. We call on Renaud Muselier to drop the defamation lawsuit. Public figures have a responsibility to set an example to safeguard press freedom and the right to information,” stated Ricardo Gutiérrez, EFJ General Secretary.
The EFJ observes that Renaud Muselier’s legal action bears several hallmarks of a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP). The financial amount of damages requested is excessive; there is an imbalance of power between the President of the South Region and the regional newspaper, and the lawsuit also appears to be aimed at sanctioning and suppressing a reporting of public interest.
Additionally, on 5 August, an elected official claimed responsibility for a different type of attack affecting a journalist from the regional newspaper. Ugo Massi, a farmer and member of the Rassemblement National municipal council in Cagnes-sur-Mer, threw a journalist to the ground and snatched her phone for a few seconds. The attack occurred at Ugo Massi’s father’s farm, where some greenhouses had been destroyed by a fire. While reporting with the father’s consent, the journalist had reportedly uncovered evidence of an illegal garage and abandoned luxury cars. The journalist, who sustained minor injuries to the elbow, filed a police complaint against Ugo Massi who reportedly apologised over the phone for having “laid a hand on her”. We stand in full solidarity with the journalist and are calling on the authorities to hold the elected official accountable for the attack.
Both incidents have been documented on the Mapping Media Freedom platform and reported to the Council of Europe’s Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists.
The targeting of the regional newspaper Nice-Matin must not be viewed as an isolated incident.Preliminary findingsfrom our recent international advocacy mission with Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) confirmed that the environment for the press in France is deteriorating. One of the main threats to press freedom in France remains vexatious litigation. While the French government initially considered a broader transposition of the EU Anti-SLAPP Directive, spending two years drafting legislation based on recommendations from the États généraux de l’information (EGI), it adopted a decree on 5 May 2026 without consulting civil society or other stakeholders. This resulted in a weak transposition.
While physical attacks by political actors remain extremely rare in France, other persistent challenges include discrediting and obstructing journalists, as well as violence during protests, mainly perpetrated by law enforcement officers. Since the beginning of the year, at least 16 media professionals have been the target of severe death threats, reigniting safety concerns for journalists. The EFJ is particularly concerned that pressure on the media will intensify in the context of the 2027 presidential race, as has been observed during previous election periods. A mission report containing key recommendations will be published.
Given the critical juncture for media freedom, it is of the utmost importance that French public officials refrain from targeting the press and condemn all forms of pressure, including that exerted by elected officials, to ensure media professionals can report freely.
The EFJ reiterates its full support for Nice-Matin.
This statement was produced by EFJ as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.
