April 2012: The SOS-AFP Petition Comes to an End

, by Admin

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Thanks to steadfast opposition from AFP staff, plus the almost 24,800 signatures gleaned by the petition, the fight to save AFP’s statutes from the attacks launched in 2007-8 has been in large part won.

The "Petition for the Independence and Survival of Agence France-Presse" Suspended

Our petition, which has attracted almost 24,800 signatures since its launch in November 2008, was aimed at defending AFP’s independence in the face of attacks launched by the administration of Nicolas Sarkozy and his backers in the French parliament.

Thanks to both the petition and the battles waged by AFP’s staff, that aim was achieved in large part. The government finally gave up most of the changes mooted first by the former CEO Pierre Louette and then by members of the ruling UMP party, supported by the current chief executive, Emmanuel Hoog.

For that reason, we have decided to suspend the petition for the moment, while leaving this web site on line.

If at any time in the future new attacks are made on AFP’s statutes, we will not hesitate to either relaunch the petition, or to start a new one.

Thank you for your understanding - and above all, thanks to all our signatories and supporters around the world!

AFP joint trade unions + the ADIAFP Association, Paris, April 20, 2012