Le Siècle: these dinners that feed the Parisian elite and many fantasies

The harsh light unveiled by the Olivier Duhamel affair, the former mandarin of Sciences Po, accused of incest on his son-in-law, has brought out "Le Siècle" from the shadows, an association he chaired since January 1 2020. Every month, this ultra-select club brings together an audience of influential personalities, under the chandeliers of the Cercle de Union Interalliée, a stone's throw from the Elysée Palace in Paris.

Around the table, industrialists, politicians, financiers, journalists, intellectuals, soldiers, lawyers, consultants ...

If some names are known - Stéphane Courbit, Augustin de Romanet, Patrick Weil, Denis Olivennes, Marisol Touraine, Sylvie Pierre-Brossolette, Xavier Musca - many people are silent about knocking on the door of this prestigious Spanish inn.

"Holy of holies" for some, "collusion dinners", "old world food" for others… to mention this unique meal is to whet appetites and, above all, to feed many fantasies.

What is it?

Two documents, the list of 270 guests gathered on February 26, 2020 for the 831st dinner, the last in the world before the coronavirus, and the yearbook for 2010, enabled us to reach many members.

Claiming to have "nothing to hide", they answered - anonymously - all of our questions about an assembly with rituals set like clockwork since the Liberation of Paris.

When a group of resistance fighters had taken it upon themselves to mix various universes to heal the wounds of a fractured France, around a regular dinner.

In a few decades, the Century has started to use power in familiar terms.

Before gaining a reputation as an occult, ultra-masculine, aging and withdrawn circle.

Listening to your guests is hearing another story.

Harmonious, often, dissonant, sometimes.

Enough to draw the impressionist portrait of an old lady who is fighting the ravages of time, by opening her salons to more young people, more women… or even to experts in artificial intelligence, connected cities and the circular economy.

At table !

At dinner, we don't chat, we listen to each other

It is 8 p.m.

The cocktail is open.

But there are not many people.

“In reality, most of the guests arrive around 8:30 pm” slips a senior official with the napkin ring engraved since the 1990s. Take advantage of this informal moment to talk about business?

“Unthinkable!

".

A business executive qualifies: "Let's say that"

We call each other during the week

is one of the phrases we hear the most at this time of the evening.

The bell rings at 9 p.m. sharp.

Dinner placed.

Everyone is looking for the table assigned to them.

They are made up of 7 to 8 people with various profiles.

The seating plan has its secret recipe: software.

This tries to mix the guests as much as possible.

"We can adjust at the margin", nuance one at the headquarters of the Century, avenue de l'Opéra.

Near each plate, the guest list.

Name, first name, diplomas, professions, titles and various commitments are already recorded in the directory distributed to each.

A dozen lines of pedigree for the most versatile, Fleur Pellerin, former Minister of Culture.

"We squint on it quickly" before a round table.

"As fast as possible", the idea is to get to the point: the game of questions and answers.

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At the baton, a chair for each table.

Warned three hours before, the elected must hasten to imagine a question to ask everyone.

"As relevant as possible, often topical", according to a business leader.

"We are going to ask a clergyman what he thinks of the ordination of women rabbi, a CEO for his testimony on the last transport strike or a high-ranking officer, back from Afghanistan, his intuitions on the hushed return of the Taliban… ”

"No apartés at the table, we listen," recalls the secretary of the association.

"If you have a question to ask, you give a discreet signal to the president, who will give you the floor at the appropriate time.

We do not come to the Century to debate ”.

"On political subjects, the exchanges can be more pungent, but always speckled" recalls a former minister.

Visionary minds and appalling monologues

All agree: “The personality of the chairman of the table is essential.

He or she, sets the tempo, ensures discipline and must above all practice well to address the right questions to the right people.

"" I like very serious tables, I don't go there for fun, it's not a friends dinner, "insists a former radio boss.

Why is he coming?

“To meet brilliant, even visionary minds: in 2007, I heard about

subprimes

, a kind of toxic financial asset.

They risk crossing the Atlantic and creating an unprecedented crisis… ”Premonitory… But the reflections are not always so bright.

“In a few minutes, we can go from the most appalling monologue, to the most exhilarating story.

And ask

yourself what am I doing here?

Or say

it's still great to meet such extraordinary people

”, abounds a communicator.

“We don't come for the quality of the food” laughs a pillar.

“The typical starter is an industrial smoked salmon, freshly taken out of its plastic wrap, the main course is a slightly dry paupiette, then a dessert that does not come from Ladurée.

The worst is obviously the wine.

It's hard to serve so many people good and hot, you know.

The Interallied does not have the kitchens of the Elysée!

Portrays a former museum director.

“Frankly, it annoys me when people criticize the dishes, it looks chic.

It's not that bad, ”dilutes a business leader, noting the lack of vegetarian choice.

Price: 82 euros per meal, in addition to the membership fee of 220 euros per year.

Young people give less, some give more.

The annual surplus will go to an association.

Pedigree, co-option, election and loyalty

After 75 years, it's out!

And given the age pyramid, there is something to look for new faces.

"Twice a year, that's the role of the board of directors," we explain to the Century office, before detailing the rules of the game.

“In reality, the age limit is set at 65.

Some faithful, involved and justifying a professional activity, can stay up to 75 years, but this is increasingly rare.

We enter co-opted by two sponsors.

The “candidates” are then put to a vote, by a majority of the board of directors.

A vote against cancels two votes in favor.

“Guests” are only really admitted after three years of good offices.

“You have to come regularly, otherwise it is of no interest.

We are going to look for people with experience, but young enough to be able to stay, take their bearings, forge links over time ”, specifies a member of the office who has been used to the exercise since the end of the 20th century.

By crossing the list of guests at the last dinner with the membership directory in 2010, we understand that a small half was already there ten years ago.

Most were born in the 1950s or 60s, around 30 in the 1940s. At the other end of the age pyramid, the youngest, born in 1987, investor and specialist in smart cities, real estate and news technologies.

In addition to his age and his singular background, his studies followed the path traced by his peers: 95 went to ENA, 89 Sciences Po Paris, 24 HEC, 23 ESSEC, 20 ENS, 17 L'X… rare graduates of public universities were especially at the Sorbonne or Assas.

For many, memories of amphis are a long way off.

CEOs, ministers, generals, prefects, magistrates, presidents of TV or radio channels, NGOs, SMEs, unions or think tanks… most of them attend high administrations or different institutions of the Republic.

"A lot of them, from the general inspectorate of finance, have become financial" continues an enarque, remained in the public.

Some tables are heavy.

Goldman Sachs, Rothschild, Lazard or all kinds of Credits, Agricultural, Swiss, Mutual ...

"Right, left or far to the left, never far to the right"

If Le Siècle was renowned for welcoming a number of politicians, they are increasingly rare.

Barely twenty at the table.

Some heads are still known, like Jean-François Copé.

Others have been, such as Xavier Darcos, Jean-Pierre Jouyet, Jean-Marie Le Guen or Dominique Perben, former ministers.

"They are from the right, from the left or far to the left, never far to the right," recalls one of the casting directors.

Little by little, the macronie has made its nest.

Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, Secretary of State for Transport, Sébastien Lecornu, then Minister responsible for Territorial Communities, are present this evening of February 2020. Former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, and ministers Pénicaud, Blanquer, Darmanin, Parly, Borne, Wargon, Montchalin, Pannier-Runacher, Riester are invited, but “did not show up”.

The Elysée is represented by Clément Beaune, at the time advisor for European affairs, now Secretary of State for eponymous affairs.

Here and there we come across other, more atypical profiles, tackling the fight against doping, cuisine, wine, street theater, nursing homes, various museums or even intelligence, with an open face.

Seeking young people, women, start-upers and engineers, with an appetite for the public good

Le Siècle has been mocked for concentrating only on a certain France, its openness being only a pretext "to look pretty", even to "entertain a gallery of old, well-rooted white males" at the head of the administration or large French companies.

"Yes and no", tempers a young woman, admitted there is little.

“I met a rabbi, a musician, a psychiatrist… it's quite diverse, it's not ornamental”.

Lucid, she continues: "Objectively at the head of an SME, I am less listened to than a former minister, it's up to you to find your place and simply be relevant".

Last year, there were a quarter of women at the table.

They were half as numerous in 2010. “A quarter is not bad enough, if we look at the executive committees of the top 120 listed companies in France, it is barely more than 20%,” she sighs.

The association not only seeks to feminize and rejuvenate but also to diversify the professional profiles of its recruits.

In tech in particular.

“I arrived about fifteen years ago.

At the time, there were only a handful of us, and very few people talked about the web at the table ”recalls a business manager.

“I was then one of the young people, today I am rather average.

What is striking is the gradual opening up of members to technological subjects, ”he explains.

In the meantime, social networks were born, presidents were elected thanks to them… they blew the Arab Spring, gave birth to Cambridge Analytica, catalyzed fake news.

They made history.

“And personally, I'm delighted to hear about something other than computers.

It's interesting to hear an expert describe the breakthrough of Islam in Africa, for example.

We learn a lot of things, we meet people ”.

And to conclude: “Frankly, Le Siècle is more interesting than useful.

It never helped me for business.

"

Listening to the kings, soldiers and workers of this little hive is to understand that it is rejuvenating, that it is diversifying and that its honey always has flavor.

In essence, Le Siècle is not a reflection of French society and naturally never will be.

The old lady, however, tries to keep up with her time.

She wouldn't have survived 76 spring without it.