French reporters end an unsuccessful strike against a new editor known as a far-right supporter

abcnews.go.com:

The journalists of French emblematic Sunday newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche have decided to put an end to a 40-day strike

PARIS — Journalists at France’s emblematic Sunday newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche ended a 40-day strike Tuesday after unsuccessfully protesting the appointment of an editor-in-chief they denounce as far-right supporter.

It was the longest journalists' strike in France in decades. The newspaper, also known as the JDD, was absent from newsstands for the sixth week in a row Sunday. The newspaper's owner, the Legardere group, said the printed version would resume publication in mid-August.

The journalists had denounced the appointment of Geoffroy Lejeune, known for his far-right political views, which they say is putting the editorial independence of the newspaper at risk.

Lejeune has openly supported far-right presidential candidate Eric Zemmour, a former TV pundit who run in France's April 2022 election, drawing fervent audiences with his anti-Islam, anti-immigration invective. Zemmour lost in the first round with 7% of the votes.

The newspaper’s journalists’ association (SDJ ) said in a statement Tuesday that of 94% of the staff decided to end the strike as the Lagardere group “remained deaf to our claims.” The journalists had almost unanimously supported the strike when it began on June 22.

“We didn’t win,” they wrote in the statement. “Today, Geoffroy Lejeune is taking office. It’s in an empty newsroom he will step in. Dozens of journalists refuse to work with him and should leave the JDD.”

Lagardere group said in a statement that the management reached an agreement with the journalists’ association and unions that provides that the JDD website will start releasing articles again from Tuesday on