Institut Aspen France
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L'Institut Aspen France is a French transatlantic lobbying and influence network, dominated by big corporations. Within the framework of transatlanticism, it works to create ruling class consensus to "evade short-term thinking by addressing societal issues from a long-term perspective", and "stimulate the desire to act in common". It is a partner of the U.S. Aspen Institute, but claims it "is by no means an office of Aspen USA".[1]
Contents
Young Leaders
The Institute also dedicates a special program to incorporating new political leadership. Each year it selects about twenty young selected officials whom it considers as "promising".
The Aspen Institute is in close contact with the Jean Jaurès Foundation (JJF). On the site of the latter, it can be read that "The Foundation joined in the project initiated by the Aspen France Institute, in partnership with the Gabriel Péri Foundation, the Robert Schuman Foundation, the Fondation pour l’Innovation politique as well as the German Marshall Fund of the United States" (which ties it in with the CIA).
JJF states that "This project consists in launching a leadership development seminar for the emerging generation of politicians, who is destined to occupy positions of responsibility in the conduct of public affairs in our country during for years to come."[2]
Private meetings
Each month, Aspen France organizes a discussion around a major intellectual figure, French or foreign, who is noticable in the public debate. The person’s comments are followed by an informal discussion with the audience. The themes tackled are wide, both economic, cultural and societal.[3]
The Aspen meetings are governed by the secretive Chatham House rules, "in a strictly non-partisan spirit", which is a meaningless statement, since all the members are from the same corporate background.
Conferences
The Aspen Institute France organizes international conferences with leaders from the political and economic world, experts from the academic sphere and professionals from the media sector, to debate common societal themes.
The Europe-Africa Meeting
The Europe-Africa Summit is one of the first programs of the Aspen Institute France. Since 1988, it has brought together leaders and very high-level experts every two years around issues relating to development and the relationship between Africa and Europe. The anonymity of the exchanges and the Aspen method of discussion guarantee high-quality and recommendations appreciated by the main institutional players.
France-Italy Forum
This permanent Forum, made up of around sixty economic and political leaders from France and Italy, was launched in October 2018 in Rome at the initiative of Aspen France and Aspen Italy in order to serve as a platform for exchanges for decision-makers involved in relations between France and Italy.
The Europe-Japan Meeting
For more than twenty years, the Aspen France Institute has organized, with the Japan Economic Foundation, a meeting with high-quality European and Japanese leaders and experts around common social, economic and political issues.
Funding
Its operation is ensured by partnerships with local authorities. Its programs benefit from ad hoc funding from foundations, companies and local authorities. Aspen France is also supported by the World Bank, the European Union, the Analysis and Forecasting Center of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NATO, McKinsey & Co, RTL, Medef, Alcatel, the Bolloré group, EADS, Suez, and Total.
Known members
8 of the 60 of the members already have pages here:
| Member | Description |
|---|---|
| BNP Paribas | World's 8th largest bank by total assets, paid the US Justice Department $8.97 billion after accusations of money laundering |
| Bertrand Badré | French banker with SDS connections |
| Patricia Barbizet | Prominent figure in the French business world |
| Raymond Barre | French PM, single Bilderberger |
| Bertrand Collomb | Connected French businessman. 13 Bilderbergs. |
| Jacques Delors | Spearheaded European integration and the euro in close cooperation with the European Roundtable of Industrialists |
| Jean-Pierre Jouyet | Chief of Staff of President of France 2014-17, attended the 2008 Bilderberg |
| Hubert Védrine | French Bilderberger politician |
