Le Siècle (think tank)

Le Siècle is an elite transpartisan social club in France that meets once a month for dinner at the French Automobile Club in Paris's Place de la Concorde.^[1][2][3] Membership in Le Siècle "symbolizes the French nomenklatura" and includes France's top intellectuals, politicians, chief executives, journalists, and artists; since the 1970s, one-third to half of all French government ministers were members of Le Siècle, regardless of political affiliation or party membership.^[4]

History

Le Siècle was founded in 1944 by Georges Bérard-Quélin, a journalist and Freemason.^[3] The small group of the 1940s and 1950s eventually expanded to include major politicians across the political spectrum, from François Mitterrand, who was a close associate of Bérard-Quélin, to Georges Pompidou via Pierre Mendès France.^[5] When a similar think tank called the Saint-Simon Foundation dissolved in 1999, many of its former members joined Le Siècle.^[6] Former CFDT Secretary General Nicole Notat has served as president of Le Siècle; not only is she the first woman to serve as president, she was also the first woman to lead a trade union in France.^[1]

Membership

Membership in Le Siècle "symbolizes the French nomenklatura" and includes France's top intellectuals, politicians, chief executives, journalists, and artists.^[4] In fact, between one-third and a half of all French government ministers were members of Le Siècle since the 1970s, regardless of political affiliation or party membership. That percentage peaked at 72% under Prime Minister Édouard Balladur (1993–95).^[7] French journalist and writer Emmanuel Ratier wrote in 1996 that the club's membership controls 90% of French GDP.^[8]

According to a 2011 article in Le Monde diplomatique, the members of Le Siècle are predominantly:^[9]

• Male (85%)
• Over 55 years old (80%)
• The sons of captains of industry, high-ranking public servants, or senior liberal professionals (55%)
• Graduates of the Institute of Political Studies (50%) and the École nationale d'administration (40%)
• From families with highly qualified engineers and links to significant business interests (25%)

There are 580 members, subject to change every year, and 160 guests.^[3]

List of members

• Claude Bébéar, former CEO of AXA.^[3]
• Thierry Breton, CEO of Atos, former minister of economy, finance, and industry (2005–2007).^[3]
• Emmanuel Chain, former TV presenter on M6.^[3]
• Jean-Marie Colombani, former editor-in-chief of Le Monde (1994–2007).^[3]
• Jean-François Copé, president of the Union for a Popular Movement; member of the French National Assembly (2002-incumbent); Mayor of Meaux (1995–2002; 2005-incumbent); former Minister of the Budget (2005–2007).^[3]
• Michèle Cotta, first female member in 1983; political journalist.^[3]
• Anne-Marie Couderc, CEO of Presstalis.^[3]
• Rachida Dati, Member of the European Parliament and mayor of the 7th arrondissement of Paris; former Minister of justice (2007–2009).^[2]
• Renaud Denoix de Saint Marc, member of the Constitutional Council of France (2007-incumbent).^[3]
• Olivier Duhamel, vice-president of Le Siècle (2010-incumbent); professor at the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris; former Socialist Member of the European Parliament (1997–2004).^[1]
• Laurent Fabius, former prime minister (1984–1986).^[3]
• François Fillon, prime minister (2007–2012); former minister of National Education (2004–2005); former minister of social affairs (2002–2004).^[3]
• Claude Imbert, founding editor of Le Point.^[3]
• Odile Jacob, publisher.^[3]
• Denis Jeambar, journalist.^[3]
• Laurent Joffrin former editor-in-chief of Libération (2006–2011).^[3]
• Lionel Jospin, former prime minister (1997–2002), former minister of National Education (1988–1992); former minister of sport (1988–1991).^[3]
• Serge July, founding editor of Libération.^[3]
• Denis Kessler, CEO of Scor, former president of Le Siècle (2007–2010).^[1]
• Étienne Lacour, secretary general of Le Siècle; editor-in-chief of the Société Générale de Presse.^[1]
• Maurice Lévy, CEO of Publicis.^[3]
• Henri Loyrette, vice-president of Le Siècle (2010-incumbent); director of the Louvre Museum (2001-incumbent).^[1]
• Nicole Notat, president of Le Siècle (2010-incumbent); CEO of Vigeo; former secretary general of the CFDT.^[1][3]
• Michel Pébereau, CEO of BNP Paribas.^[3]
• Patrick Poivre d'Arvor, newscaster on TF1.^[3]
• Alain de Pouzilhac, former CEO of Havas.^[3]
• David Pujadas, TV presenter on France 2.^[3]
• Jean-Pierre Raffarin, member of the French Senate; former prime minister (2002–2005).^[3]
• Edouard de Rothschild.^[3]
• Nicolas Sarkozy, French president (2007–2012).^[3]
• Louis Schweitzer, former CEO of Renault.^[3]
• Dominique Strauss-Kahn, former managing director of the International Monetary Fund (2007–2011).^[3]
• Marc Tessier, treasurer of Le Siècle (2010–incumbent); former chairman of France Télévisions.^[1][3]
• Philippe Villin, former chairman of Le Figaro and France Soir.^[3]
• Gérard Worms, former CEO of N M Rothschild & Sons.^[2]