Denis Bachelot — The Young Leaders programme was created within the framework of the French-American Foundation. What is the purpose of this dual initiative and what conclusions can you draw from it after more than forty years of operation?
Jean-Luc Allavena — I was a Young Leader in 2001, when I joined the Lagardère group. In 2007, at the request of Philippe Lagayette who was then president of the French-American Foundation, we revived the Young Leaders network. This network is the true backbone of the institution, and its directory reflects more than forty years of history, with more than 800 prominent figures selected since its creation in 1981.
The creation of the French-American Foundation stems from the context of the 1970s: a climate of French-bashing on one side and anti-Americanism on the other. The first oil shock and its politico-economic consequences, as well as certain differences of opinion with regard to our social model, also contributed to the bad atmosphere between the two countries. In a voluntary and selfless spirit, French and American figures from the world of business and politics felt that it was time to build a new bond between the two countries. These prominent people had a meeting with President Giscard d’Estaing to propose the creation of the Foundation, which was announced in Washington on May 18, 1976, in the presence of President Gerald Ford, during the French president’s state visit to commemorate the United States’ bicentennial. Five years later, in 1981, the Young Leaders programme was born.
The Foundation is not centralized. It is an organisation balanced between the two sides of the Atlantic: French-American Foundation United States in New York and French-American Foundation France in Paris. The two are independent of each other, each having its own chairman, managing directors and independent boards of directors. The two foundations have, simultaneously, their own activities and shared programmes. The priority is to get along well and learn to work together. This form of organization is particularly symbolic and constructive because it assumes that the two foundations apply to themselves the policy of good transatlantic understanding that they advocate for others. Nothing beats proof by example.
The first selection of Young Leaders therefore dates back to 1981 and, from the first two or three years onwards, prominent figures like Alain Juppé, Alain Minc, François Henrot and Michel Bon were among participants on the French side, and on the American side, by way of example, Bill and Hillary Clinton. The selected individuals, aged from 30 to 40, had already developed high-level careers and had already demonstrated leadership qualities that would help them reach the highest positions. The purpose of the programme is not to proselytize, but to sensitise these high-potential minds to the challenges of a good Franco-American relationship.
D. B. — A Wikipedia entry presents the Young Leaders as an expression of American ‘soft power’. Could we say that they also represent a vector of French ‘soft power’?
J.-L. A. — My answer is yes, without hesitation. To balance the link between the two nations, we must first remember the history they share. Starting, of course, with the role of the United States in France during the two world wars. The decisive role played by France, for its part, in American independence remains a key element of this relationship. An initiative like the reconstruction of the Hermione, the frigate that transported Lafayette to America, is an important symbol of our two countries’ common destiny. History is the basis of this relationship and whenever a difficulty arises between our two nations, we return to these unwavering ties.
This shared historical memory, as well as its political, economic and cultural dimensions, are taught to the Young Leaders during the seminars they take part in. A French leader must know the main pillars on which the Franco-American relationship is based and, conversely, an American leader must know why it is important to maintain good relations between his country and France, as well as the latter’s place in the world.
D. B. — More specifically, how does this French ‘soft power’ manifest itself? Can you give specific examples where the Young Leaders’ network has improved Franco-American relations or defused crises?
J.-L. A. — It is manifested over the long term, without any official role or public intervention. A good example, from the period of high tension between France and America over the Iraqi crisis in 2003: diplomacy on each side of the Atlantic was led by two Young Leaders, Alain Juppé and Hillary Clinton, which certainly made it possible to understand each other better and limit the most serious consequences of the disagreement between our two nations.
Or to take a more recent episode, that of the Australian submarine affair in the autumn of 2021, which coincided with the 40th anniversary of the Young Leaders programme which was being celebrated in Paris. On October 21, President Macron, himself a Young Leader, received a delegation from the Foundation consisting of Young Leaders – five French and five American – aiming to help to calm tensions, thus showing that when relations are difficult, official diplomacy can count on other, more informal, but very effective ties. Another significant episode: in 2015, the year in which we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Foundation, the United States – within the framework of COP 21 – distanced itself from the Paris agreements. If we did nevertheless maintain dialogue with the Americans, it was thanks to an event that brought 700 people together in the Galerie des Batailles at Versailles. Discussions took place with the UN climate ambassador, Michael Bloomberg, in the presence of Valéry Giscard d’Estaing and Nathalie Kosciusko- Morizet, a Young Leader. During these meetings, we were able to comment on the COP 21 negotiations by expressing our differences gently and avoiding harsh confrontations.
This ‘soft power’ therefore manifests itself in a subtle interplay of cross-channels, which are open in the main. I must emphasize that. You couldn’t call this network a secret society. Our role is to inform all those concerned and, where appropriate, to explain.
D. B. — Isn’t there a contradiction in the relationship between France and the United States, or between Europe and the United States, stemming from the fact that we are political allies and, at the same time, economic rivals? What comes to mind specifically is the extraterritoriality of American law, which allows enormous fines to be imposed on competing European companies. How far can this rivalry go without it becoming confrontational in the face of sometimes vital economic interests, particularly in the military industrial sector, where the French and the Americans often find themselves in head- on competition?
J.-L. A. — In my view, we must avoid the settling of scores by putting the focus on a long-term relationship that is as balanced as possible, on dialogue by means of established human ties. This is also useful for promoting common ideas and projects, and for helping resolve crisis situations defensively.
Action based on dialogue and personal ties has been passed on – and this is one of the characteristics of the Young Leaders
– through the generations for more than forty years. I can say, for example, that I personally learned a lot from Alain Juppé, in particular from the richness of his political and diplomatic career. One can also cite representatives from the world of media, such as Christine Ockrent. By way of anecdote, Christine says that during the 1982 seminar, Hillary Clinton, who was chosen as a Young Leader a year before her husband, declared with conviction: « when my husband is President of the United States ... » That was ten years before Bill entered the White House!
D. B. — In a recent statement, Bruno Le Maire, the economy minister, called on Europeans to respond firmly to the American programme of massive subsidies to national industries to promote their energy transition. An initiative which, according to the French minister, threatens the competitiveness of industries on the old continent. Is the current deterioration in the economic situation, between rising energy prices, inflation and rising interest rates, not likely to aggravate conflicts around economic issues, and harden political relations in consequence?
J.-L. A. — Already we can see that relations have hardened and that the networks I have just mentioned are not enough to resolve all the problems. The transatlantic relationship is shaped by objective facts. Just to take the financial world, which is in fact dominated by the United States: half of the world’s assets are managed from the United States. American banks are a dominant power, the dollar remains the central currency that reigns over the world economy and whose strength we can see today. I repeat: the tensions these realities can create far exceed the capacity of dedicated groups of individuals who wish to resolve them. Some of these tensions are a matter for Europe; the subject raised by the minister is that of American aid versus that of the EU, particularly in the air transport sector, against the backdrop of the historic battles between Boeing and Airbus. Beyond the economic domain, new tensions are appearing in an area that concerns us all: the struggle to save the planet. We cannot have such colossal differences between the positions of President Trump, during his term in office, and those adopted by the Paris agreements, whose terms he denounced in 2018 after three days of negotiations and dialogue during President Macron’s state visit to Washington. Tensions related to economic, energy and environmental challenges are more severe now and France cannot respond alone on these issues; this makes a case for more from Europe, and argues in favour of common programmes between Europe and the United States, and for the establishment of more technical commissions capable of making indisputable diagnoses, in particular on matters related to the climate. Among the Young Leaders we have figures – I am thinking of Jean-Marc Jancovici – who are perfectly capable of explaining the climate challenges in very concrete terms to their American counterparts. Other subjects of ongoing tension related to nuclear power and the Iranian non-proliferation agreement are equally involved.
As soon as we can activate personal connections, conflict situations have a chance of improving. Take, for example, Tony Blinken in his role as Secretary of State – Young Leader, Francophone and Francophile; it is obvious that he is an extremely favourable asset for the relationship between the two countries. This was already the case when John Kerry, Secretary of State at the time, asked Charles Rivkin, the United States’ Ambassador to France, to meet with French business leaders to establish a direct dialogue with them. As we know, John Kerry speaks perfect French and has family in France, while Charles Rivkin spent two years as a student in Rennes. It was the French-American Foundation France that brought the leaders together for this important meeting, demonstrating once again that anything that creates links between individuals is favourable to the balance of the world, and more particularly to the relationship between the United States and France. This link is available to work for the general interest within the European framework. We are scouts, an alarm-signal for the Franco-American relationship; and this, in order to protect our common destiny sealed by History, beyond the vicissitudes of the news.
D. B. — How do you see the Franco-American relationship today, with its strengths and weaknesses?
J.-L. A. — Firstly, this relationship is built on solid foundations that cannot be changed since, as we have said, they are rooted in history. No one can dispute them. There are, however, differences that cannot be shrugged off: among others, those that concern the way capitalism and the social model are understood. Joint projects of all kinds, and greater cooperation, would limit the sources of misunderstanding and bring the two countries closer together. On the other hand, I think mutual admiration does exist: Americans admire French culture. Proof of this is the number of non-profit institutions focused on French culture, such as the French Heritage Society, which protects the French cultural legacy. Not to mention the friends of Versailles, the friends of the Rodin museum, the friends of Chambord … There’s a long list. You can also see how the big French luxury groups impress the Americans. There is real mutual respect.
D. B. — In your experience as a businessman, are these joint projects feasible?
J.-L. A. — The Apollo fund, of which I am a partner, has carried out in fifteen years more than fifteen major investment transactions which have fostered the development of companies like Pechiney, Verallia, Vallourec, Latécoère and Ingenico. We have cross- shareholdings and investments with Franco-American teams that work together harmoniously and manage to function well. To return to the Young Leaders program, if you can emphasize to promising thirty-somethings what works well and what needs to be improved in Franco-American cooperation, you promote problem-solving over the long term. It is essential to prepare future leaders with a good knowledge of their counterparts on either side of the Atlantic. In line with this, the French-American Foundation France established a big cyber-conference that took place in Washington in 2014. This initiative has created a centre for cooperation between the two countries around the fight against cyber-crime. This is a concrete example of a common project initiated by volunteers, which can be duplicated in many other fields.
D. B. — Without wanting to sound like a killjoy, one can’t help but ask the following question: doesn’t the purchase and rescue of those companies amount primarily to a process of technology transfer that is weakening the French economy? The controversies that arose during the takeover of Alstom’s turbine activities by General Electric come to mind ...
J.-L. A. — On this sensitive subject, you need to remember first of all that when it comes to financial investors, it is the teams that are American, not the capital, which is global. Teams can be based anywhere in the world. Moreover, just to clarify, an American fund that raises capital does so via large sovereign wealth funds, large pension funds, and large private fortunes on an international scale.
D. B. — The world is becoming more and more multipolar. How can the very strong ties made up of shared interests that we have with the United States be reconciled with the ties that we must increasingly develop with the new dominant powers? We are thinking, of course, primarily of China …
J.-L. A. — To give you a quick answer, I don’t think one excludes the other. The proof: the Franco-Chinese Foundation and the Franco- Chinese Young Leaders were created by four Young Leaders that I recruited myself. There is nothing incompatible in this approach; we are committed to an openness to the world, for the benefit of our country. The multiplicity of links makes it possible to think and act much more broadly. It should also be remembered that beyond the exclusive ties it forges in its bilateral relations, France has a strong presence via its multilateral relations, playing a major role in big international organizations. Finally, the European element is essential to the commitment of many Young Leaders. We take into account all these levels of action.
D. B. — To conclude this interview, one important question remains: how does one become a Young Leader?
J.-L. A. — The process unfolds in the main through collaborative research. Each year, around October or November, former Young Leaders, members of the board, sponsors and a few qualified figures are contacted by post so that they might identify those with the best profile who might be willing to apply. The first quarter is focused on putting the dossiers together, then a jury meets the candidates and selects the lucky ones. We proceed with the aim of organising and diversifying our choices so as to have the most balanced possible representation of French society – with perfect gender parity especially – in the major political, economic and cultural sectors, but also among outstanding individuals. It was in this spirit that we included the astronaut Thomas Pesquet in the programme. He submitted his application from space, by video. That was a great moment!
The selection is published in May and made public; the new members are presented to the general meeting of the Foundation during its annual gala. Then, the following September or October, we organize two annual seminars of four days each, one in the United States and the other in France. This event unfolds in two parts. The first consists of getting to know the most emblematic locations in the place where the seminar is being held. The second consists of discussion with a speaker, often a former Young Leader, on important topics of current interest in the transatlantic relationship.
After the seminar, the Young Leaders will attend regular meetings throughout their lives as circumstances dictate. Every half-decade, all the Young Leaders from the beginning meet on one side of the Atlantic or the other. Once a Young Leader, you are one for life!