Laurent Mauduit

Journaliste au Quotidien de Paris (1979), puis à l'Agence centrale de Presse (1979-1984), à La Tribune de l'économie (1984-1990). Chef du service économique de Libération (1991-1994) avant d'entrer au Monde, en charge de la politique économique française (1995-1999), puis rédacteur en chef du service Entreprises (1999-2003), directeur adjoint de la rédaction (2003-2005), éditorialiste (2006). Quitte Le Monde, en décembre 2006, en désaccord avec la politique éditoriale. Cofondateur de Mediapart. Auteur des ouvrages suivants:

 - Histoire secrète des dossiers noirs de la gauche (en collaboration), Éditions Alain Moreau, 1986

- La grande méprise (en collaboration), Grasset, 1996

- La gauche imaginaire et le nouveau capitalisme (avec Gérard Desportes), Grasset, 1999

 - Voyage indiscret au cœur de l’État (en collaboration), Éditions Le Monde-Le Pré aux Clercs, 2000

 - Les stock-options (avec Philippe Jaffré), Grasset, 2002

- L’adieu au socialisme (avec Gérard Desportes), Grasset, 2002

- Jacques le Petit, Stock, 2005

- Petits conseils, Stock, 2007

- Sous le Tapie, Stock, 2008

- Les 110 propositions, 1981-2011 - Manuel critique à l'usage des citoyens qui rêvent encore de changer la vie, Don Quichotte, 2011 (ouvrage collectif de la rédaction de Mediapart) 

- Les imposteurs de l'économie, Editions Gawsewitch, 2012 (Réédité en 2013 par les Editions Pocket, puis en 2016 en version numérique par les Éditions Don Quichotte)

- L'étrange capitulation, Editions Gawsewitch, 2013. Cet ouvrage a été réédité en version numérique en mars 2015 par les éditions Don Quichotte.

- Tapie, le scandale d'Etat, Stock, 2013 - Cette affaire a aussi donné lieu à un documentaire Tapie et la République - Autopsie d'un scandale d'Etat (70', Nova Production), que j'ai co-écrit avec le réalisateur Thomas Johnson et qui a été diffusé la première fois par France 5 le 31 mars 2015.

- A tous ceux qui ne se résignent pas à la débâcle qui vient (Don Quichotte, 2014)

- Main basse sur l'information (Don Quichotte, 2016)

- La Caste. Enquête sur cette haute fonction publique qui a pris le pouvoir (La Découverte, septembre 2018).

- Prédations. Histoire des privatisations des biens publics,  (La Découverte, septembre 2020).

- Trotskisme, Histoires secrètes - De Lambert à Mélenchon (avec Denis Sieffert), Les petits matins, 2024.

- Vous ne me trouverez pas sur Amazon (Divergences, 2024)

All his articles

  • France heading for 10 million in poverty

    France — Analysis

    The number of people living in poverty in France is likely to top the 10 million mark in 2013, indicate the results of a report by the French national institute of statistics and economic studies, INSEE, published this month. The fast-rising trend of those falling into financial and social distress is revealed in the institute’s latest study of living standards in the country, which fell for all categories of the population, except for the richest 5 per cent, while poverty increased sharply, especially among the young. Mediapart's economics and finance specialist Laurent Mauduit analyses the disturbing figures.

    by Laurent Mauduit

  • The wealth gap in France, the need for fiscal reform, and the hypocrisy of David Cameron

    International — Opinion

    A study just published by the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) reveals that the richest 20% of households in France own 71% of all household wealth. Mediapart finance and economics correspondent Laurent Mauduit argues here why that and other telling statistics from the study highlight the urgency of the new French socialist government’s fiscal reform plans, and shine a harsh light on the hypocritical attack launched against them by British PM David Cameron.

    by Laurent Mauduit

  • The cloud of Pétain rains on Sarkozy's May Day counter-parade

    France — Opinion

    The April 22nd first round of the French presidential elections left incumbent candidate Nicolas Sarkozy in a close second-place behind the Socialist Party’s François Hollande. In his campaigning before the final play-off between the two on May 6th, Sarkozy has caused controversy and dismay over his overt attempts to capture the electorate of the far-right Front National party, whose candidate Marine Le Pen scored almost 18% in the first round poll. While the outgoing president has placed immigration issues to the fore, he also announced plans to organise a rally in Paris on May 1st to honour what he deems to be "real labour", as a counter-demonstration against the traditional trades union-organised May Day parade. Mediapart economic and social affairs correspondent Laurent Mauduit argues here why the initiative is an outrageous throwback to the WWII collaborationist Vichy government of German-occupied France, whose leader, Marshal Philippe Pétain, attempted to transform this day of international workers’ solidarity into a day in honour of so-called "labour and social harmony".

    by Laurent Mauduit

  • BNP Paribas faces being placed under investigation in Madoff scam probe

    International — Investigation

    France's biggest listed bank, BNP Paribas, and largest in Europe, is set to be placed under formal investigation – one step short of charges being brought - in connection with suspected fraudulent handling of clients' investments in funds that channelled money to US fraudster Bernard Madoff, judicial sources have told Mediapart. A ruling by the Paris appeal court's investigatory chamber found that "Bernard Madoff's own responsibility does not rule out the possibility of fraudulent behaviour by intermediaries such as the BNP." The court cited documents from the US liquidator of the Madoff group, concluding that “it now seems that the bank received millions of dollars in exchange for services that were never provided and while it was in possession of information […] which should have prompted it to investigate BLMIS [Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities]". The ruling has relaunched an investigation that now threatens the bank with major legal consequences. Laurent Mauduit reports.

    by Laurent Mauduit

  • Sarkozy ally set to take charge of INSEE, independent barometer of French economy

    France

    President Nicolas Sarkozy is poised to nominate a close political ally to head France’s national statistics and economic studies institute INSEE, Mediapart has learnt. The move threatens to undermine the independence of an organisation that is the reference point for impartial measurements of the French economy, and is all the more controversial for being orchestrated amid Sarkozy’s campaign for re-election in the two-round presidential poll that begins in April. Laurent Mauduit reports.

    by Laurent Mauduit

  • The urgent message of this austerity-fuelled recession

    International — Opinion

    Like the rest of the eurozone countries, France is entering a recession, according to the latest quarterly report released this month by the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE). Mediapart co-founder Laurent Mauduit argues here why the INSEE report is both an indictment of President Nicolas Sarkozy's economic policies and a warning for the Left opposition, ahead of next year's presidential elections, that austerity measures do nothing but fuel the crisis.

    by Laurent Mauduit

  • The spiral of speculation and austerity spinning France towards 5 million unemployed

    France — Opinion

    France "may have entered a short, shallow recession", announced the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development on Monday, the smae day when the latest official French unemployment figures were also released revealing the total number of jobless of all categories had reached 4.8 million for the first time since 1999. Mediapart co-founder Laurent Mauduit argues that this sad state of affairs is the result of economic policies that feed speculation rather than fight it, part of a vicious circle that sees the multiplication of austerity measures that are strangling the economy, worsening rather than improving public deficits, and which have already created an exceptional level of social misery.

    by Laurent Mauduit

  • Economic policy - between austerity and a Rocky Horror Show...

    Économie et social — Opinion

    The Prime Minister François Fillon has just announced a series of new austerity measures to produce a further 12 billion euros in savings for the government in 2011 and 2012. This follows a downgrading in the forecast for economic growth for both years. The measures include a new reduction in the benefits afforded by a variety of tax breaks and a temporary 3% tax on those with massive incomes. But, argues Laurent Mauduit, the overall package is just another sign of the government's incoherent and crazy economic policy. And one which he says risks tipping France back into recession.

    by Laurent Mauduit

  • Two tycoons and a secret pact to carve up millions in compensation

    France — Investigation

    A French court will decide in August whether the new IMF chief Christine Lagarde will be investigated for her role, when French finance minister, in the controversial 2008 award of more than 400 million euros of public money to French tycoon Bernard Tapie. The case took a new twist in July after Mediapart led revelations over a secret pact between flamboyant, twice-fold rags-to-riches Tapie and an equally colourful entrepreneur called André Guelfi, a.k.a.Dédé la Sardine. The two men, who first met in prison, agreed to share their winnings in Tapie's compensation claim against the Crédit Lyonnais bank, and Guelfi's astronomic and ongoing compensation demand of more than 1 billion euros from oil giant Total, with funds destined to an offshore tax haven. Laurent Mauduit reports.

    by Laurent Mauduit

  • Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn sitting on an ejector seat

    France — Investigation

    The rumour mill is working overtime in the French business world and at Renault, where the carmaker's CEO Carlos Ghosn is fighting to keep his job after the fiasco of false espionage allegations against three top executives which saw them fired on false pretences, and led to the resignation of the company's N°2, Patrick Pelata. Officially all is well again, but Ghosn now faces a fierce battle against those determined to have his head for other reasons, not least French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Martine Orange and Laurent Mauduit report on the malaise surrounding the man at the wheel of one of France's industrial giants.

    by Laurent Mauduit and Martine Orange

    Free access

  • Exclusive: the secret report that could scupper Lagarde's bid to lead IMF

    France — Investigation

    French finance minister Christine Lagarde is hotly tipped to replace Dominique Strauss-Kahn, arrested in New York last weekend on sex assault charges, as Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Mediapart has exclusively obtained a copy of a confidential report (pictured) by the French national audit office, the Court of Accounts, which we publish here and which could potentially scupper her candidacy to become IMF chief. It throws deep suspicion on Lagarde's role, already the object of legal moves for suspected "abuse of authority", in a massive out-of-court settlement of 403 million euros of public funds awarded to controversial French tycoon Bernard Tapie in 2008. Laurent Mauduit reports.

    by Laurent Mauduit

  • The sting in the tale of Tapie and the Crédit Lyonnais payout

    France — Investigation

    The controversy over the 403 million euros of public funds awarded in 2008 to French businessman Bernard Tapie in his dispute with French bank Crédit Lyonnais returned to the fore this month, lighting a fuse to a series of scandals-within-the-scandal. Laurent Mauduit reports.

    by Laurent Mauduit

    Free access

All his blog posts

Mediapart’s journalists also use their blogs, and participate in their own name to this space of debates, by confiding behind the scenes of investigations or reports, doubts or personal reactions to the news.

Laurent Mauduit (avatar)

Laurent Mauduit

Mediapart Journalist

164 Posts

5 Editions

  • Collaborations : enquête sur les milieux d’affaires et l’extrême droite

    Blog post

    C’est un enseignement constant de l’histoire : l’extrême droite n’a jamais pris le pouvoir sans que les milieux d’affaires n’y consentent ou l’y aident. J’ai donc jugé urgent d’écrire ce livre pour mettre au jour les connexions établies, souvent secrètes, et mesurer la gravité des menaces qui pèsent aujourd’hui sur notre démocratie.

  • Panthéonisation : les conditions posées par la famille de Marc Bloch

    Blog post

    À la suite de l’annonce par Emmanuel Macron de la prochaine panthéonisation du grand historien Marc Bloch, fusillé par la Gestapo le 16 juin 1944, sa famille a écrit une lettre à Emmanuel Macron lui faisant part de ses souhaits : Pas de religion ! Pas d'extrême droite ! Voici cette lettre dans sa version intégrale.

  • « Le refus de démocratie à LFI est une impasse politique pour la gauche »

    Blog post

    En janvier, lors de la publication « Trotskisme, histoires secrètes – De Lambert à Mélenchon », que j’ai co-écrit avec Denis Sieffert, c’est l’alerte que nous lancions à la faveur d’un entretien à Politis pour présenter notre ouvrage. Malheureusement, nous y voilà !

  • Les zigzags de Michel Broué entre politique, éthique et mathématiques

    Blog post

    Dans un livre inclassable et captivant, Michel Broué évoque tantôt les grands combats démocratiques auxquels il a participé, tantôt les mathématiques, son autre passion. Dénonçant dans un cas comme dans l’autre les idées reçues et l’apparent bon sens, il plaide en faveur de ce qu’il appelle une « subversion fertile ».

  • Vous ne me trouverez pas sur Amazon !

    Blog post

    Mon livre qui paraît vendredi sous ce titre ne sera effectivement pas distribué par l’oligopole américain, symbole des dérives du capitalisme financiarisé. Il a l’ambition d’alerter sur les dangers qui pèsent sur le livre et sur la presse, pris en tenaille entre les puissances d’argent et les géants du numérique que sont Amazon, Google ou encore Facebook.