French President Emmanuel Macron used a visit to the Paris Book Festival (an annual literary fair held at the Grand Palais) on 17 April 2026 to defend "editorial pluralism," saying it was "very important to express and defend" the freedom of authors and the independence of publishers. His remarks came amid an unusual crisis in French publishing, after around 170 writers announced they would refuse to publish new books with the prestigious house Grasset, protesting the ousting of its long-serving CEO Olivier Nora — a departure many authors attribute to the influence of ultra-conservative billionaire Vincent Bolloré, who controls Grasset's parent company Hachette as well as several French media outlets. Macron said a publisher is "not simply someone who prints books" but "a spirit, a house, part of the literary heritage," and left open the possibility of introducing a conscience clause protecting authors, saying the idea "must be considered."