Le Vif

Founded in 1983, Le Vif/L’Express is one of Belgium’s most established French-language weekly news magazines. Created as the Belgian counterpart to France’s L’Express, it evolved over the decades into a distinctly Belgian publication with its own editorial identity, becoming a central fixture in the country’s political and societal conversation. Published by the Roularta Media Group, Le Vif functions with a high degree of editorial autonomy and is recognised for its combination of investigative reporting, longform analysis, and thematic specials. At a time when Belgium’s complex institutional system and multilingual public sphere often fragment news coverage, Le Vif plays a unique role by offering coherent, context-rich journalism that cuts across federal, regional, and community-level politics. Its editorial scope is deliberately broad: national governance, public institutions, justice and corruption, social policies, science, environment, and culture. Rather than chasing headlines, the magazine often returns to issues that require sustained attention - budget transparency, education reforms, climate adaptation, institutional tensions, or public-service performance. Regular dossiers and cross-border collaborations deepen its analytical approach. Le Vif operates through a subscription- and newsstand-driven model, supplemented by events, digital editions, and partnerships that support long-term editorial independence. While commercially structured, the outlet has maintained a reputation for critical distance from partisan actors and a commitment to explaining, scrutinising, and contextualising Belgium’s political life. Four decades after its creation, Le Vif continues to position itself as a forum for nuance, accountability, and democratic debate, helping readers make sense of the evolutions and contradictions that define modern Belgium.