The Rossel group, which owns the French newspaper la Voix du Nord, has begun exclusive talks to buy the parent company of Sud Ouest, a regional daily newspaper, according to a joint statement from both groups on September 3. If the deal goes through, it would create a media entity with combined annual sales exceeding 400 million euros. The acquisition is expected to be finalized by the end of the year and would make it the third-largest player in the French regional press market, following SIPA-Ouest-France (with 525 million euros in turnover) and EBRA (with 479 million euros). The decision to start negotiations was described by Tristan Lemoîne, vice president of the Sud Ouest group (GSO), as a "heavy decision" made "unanimously" by the group's fifty shareholders. He told AFP that the process was marked by "a lot of emotion," reflecting the significance of the move for the company. The GSO includes Sud Ouest and its publisher, Sapeso, along with other regional newspapers, audiovisual platforms, and event companies. The Lemoîne family, descendants of the newspaper’s founder, owns about 80% of the group. Sud Ouest is distributed to around 164,000 copies daily, according to ACPM/OJD, and employs 700 people, including 230 journalists. The newspaper has faced several restructuring efforts in recent years, including 81 job losses in 2024 and a plan for approximately 50 voluntary or non-replacement departures by 2028. Media sociologist Jean-Marie Charon has noted that the significant reduction in editorial staff has weakened the newspaper’s ability to innovate and maintain fresh content. While the GSO as a whole is profitable, with 30% of its revenue coming from non-newspaper sources, Sapeso, the publisher of Sud Ouest, reported a deficit in 2025. Rossel, the potential buyer, is described by Lemoîne as "a very solid, family shareholder" with "common values" and a commitment to "apolitical" editorial independence. Unions were informed of the likely sale before an extraordinary meeting of the CSE (employee representative body) on Monday. While the deal was not a surprise to the unions, who have been closely monitoring the situation, both parties hope to finalize the acquisition by year’s end after consulting with employee representatives.