With the spread of electronic publishing, scientific journals are faced with a major challenge: how to ensure the best possible dissemination of knowledge without jeopardizing their fragile economy? The publication of a journal, whatever its format and support, assumes editorial work, and therefore has a cost. Who will pay for offering full free access? This article presents the different problems posed by the spread of open access in the form the French authorities are attempting to impose it. The reduction in the duration of pay-walls and the obligation to deposit all articles in open archives pose serious threats to the future of social science journals. The solution proposed by some, which would remove the current editorial pluralism and lead to a kind of state monopoly on scientific publications, appears as a serious threat to the editorial and scientific autonomy of journals. It would be quite paradoxical if the promotion of open access resulted in full state-control of scientific publications.