Editing Le Figaro (section)

==Editorial stance and controversies==
{{Conservatism in France|Media}}
{{Lang|fr|Le Figaro}} has traditionally held a [[Conservatism|conservative]] editorial stance, becoming the voice of the French upper and middle classes.<ref name=":2" /> More recently, the newspaper's political stance has become more centrist.{{cn|date=April 2025}}

The newspaper's ownership by [[Serge Dassault]] was a source of controversy in terms of conflict-of-interest, as Dassault also owned a major military supplier and served in political positions from the [[Union for a Popular Movement]] party. His son [[Olivier Dassault]] served as a member of the [[National Assembly (France)|French National Assembly]].<ref>[http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3236,36-381288,0.html "Dassault se sépare d'Yves de Chaisemartin"], {{Lang|fr|Le Figaro}}, 1 October 2004. Retrieved 27 January 2007.</ref> Dassault has remarked in an interview in 2004 on the public radio station [[France Inter]] that "newspapers must promulgate healthy ideas" and that "left-wing ideas are not healthy ideas."<ref>[https://archive.today/20120526210025/http://www.lemonde.fr/web/recherche_breve/1,13-0,37-880582,0.html "M. Dassault veut une presse aux « idées saines »"], {{Lang|fr|[[Le Monde]]}}, 12 December 2004. Retrieved 27 January 2007.</ref>

In February 2012, a general assembly of the newspaper's journalists adopted a motion accusing the paper's managing editor, [[Étienne Mougeotte]], of having made {{Lang|fr|Le Figaro}} into the "bulletin" of the governing party, the [[Union for a Popular Movement]], of the government and of President [[Nicolas Sarkozy]]. They requested more pluralism and "honesty" and accused the paper of one-sided political reporting. Mougeotte had previously said that {{Lang|fr|Le Figaro}} would do nothing to embarrass the government and the right.<ref>[http://www.lemonde.fr/actualite-medias/article/2012/02/09/le-figaro-n-est-pas-le-bulletin-d-un-parti_1641372_3236.html ""Le Figaro" n'est pas "le bulletin d'un parti""], {{Lang|fr|[[Le Monde]]}}, 9 February 2012</ref><ref>[http://leplus.nouvelobs.com/contribution/319647-la-question-du-jour-le-figaro-est-il-un-journal-d-opinion-ou-un-bulletin-de-l-ump.html "La question du jour. "Le Figaro" est-il un journal d'opinion ou un "bulletin" de l'UMP?"], ''[[Le Nouvel Observateur]]'', 10 February 2012</ref><ref>[http://www.rue89.com/rue89-presidentielle/2012/02/09/presidentielle-les-journalistes-du-figaro-reclament-plus-d-honnetete?page=2 "Présidentielle : les journalistes du Figaro réclament un journal plus « honnête »"], [[Rue89]], 9 February 2012</ref> Mougeotte publicly replied: "Our editorial line pleases our readers as it is, it works. I don't see why I should change it. [...] We are a right-wing newspaper and we express it clearly, by the way. Our readers know it, our journalists too. There's nothing new to that!"<ref name=Mougeotte>[http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/medias/20120210.OBS1132/le-figaro-mougeotte-repond-aux-critiques-de-ses-journalistes.html ""Le Figaro" : Mougeotte répond aux critiques de ses journalistes"], ''Le Nouvel Observateur'', 10 February 2012</ref>