Michel Leroy has been passionately in love at least once in his life: with Laos. A graduate of France's elite school of journalism, ESJ, who has worked on France-Culture, La Voix du Nord, and Le Figaro as well as Le Progrès Egyptien (in Cairo), in 1998 this freelance journalist was asked to design the first French-language weekly newspaper in Laos. Le Rénovateur (published by the Vientiane Times group) was born, and is still thriving today. "What started out as a blind date turned into love at first sight," explains Michel. Two years later, he returned to France with Laos in his heart and a project in mind: to return to the country and to follow in the footsteps of Soulivong Savang, the prince of a country that is today under communist rule, but whose memory and palace are still the object of secret, cautious devotion. At a time when some ruling families are once again returning to the corridors of power (for example in Bulgaria, Romania and Afghanistan), the story of this exiled prince is not without significance. We should remember that Laos, a former French protectorate, forms part of our history, and as a buffer state between various other countries it has a central role to play, now more than ever, in international relations, in particular with China. In other words, the Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation is happy to support Michel's journey – love at first sight that has turned into a real romance.

Achievements since winning the grant
Since february 2007, Michel Leroy has been managing the Centre de Formation et de Perfectionnement des Journalistes in Paris, an advanced training centre for journalists.