The fifth edition of the Rencontres de l’Avenir will take place from November 18 to 20, at the Palais des Congrès in Saint-Raphaël. This unique event, which I created with the mayor of Saint-Raphaël Frédéric Masquelier, and of which L’Express is the press partner, has become in a few years one of the main intellectual and political meetings in the country. This success can be explained by two main reasons. First, we assume an “editorial line”. Whatever their political preferences, the participants share solid convictions: the exercise of reason in the trail of lightsbelief in freedom as a civilizational matrix, confidence in our ability to build a better future, whatever the difficulties of the moment, and they are enormous.
No revolutionaries or decreants here: we believe that the transformation of the country is achieved through representative liberal democracy, with shared progress in sight. These ideas are today discredited and even violently attacked. This is why they must be defended with tenfold energy.
Second, we believe that intellectual and political debates do not happen through sterile quarrels on social networks. We still have the weakness to believe that reflection, the time given to discussion (no 8-minute keynotes here), the development of proposals are the best way to improve the functioning of our country. At the Rencontres de l’avenir, you will not find the usual “clashers” too often put forward by the small screen to satisfy the law of buzz, but serious, lucid personalities concerned with the notions of truth, freedom and progress.
The public will find the regulars of these meetings, intellectuals whom the French know better and better and appreciate more and more: Cynthia Fleury, Aurélie Jean, Olivier Babeau, Gerald Bronner, Robin Rivaton, Emmanuel Combe and many others…. Political personalities like David Lisnard or the President of the Belgian Reform Movement Georges-Louis Bouchez will be present. The geopolitical question will be the subject of particular attention with the visit to Saint-Raphaël of Michèle Alliot-Marie, David Martinon, Frédéric Encel or the president of the Ukrainian liberal party, the deputy Kira Rudik, who will come to France especially for this opportunity. David Pujadas will enlighten us on the future of the media. Frédéric Dabi will open an exclusive survey on the confidence of the French in the future. Jacques Attali will do us the kindness to close this event for a discussion on “the economy of life”.
I pass and of the best. The program is dense but our fellow citizens are eager to understand and debate. Those who level down do not understand popular aspirations.
Come in large numbers to the Palais des Congrès from November 18 to 20. Registration is open and free, on the site www.rencontres-avenir.fr. We look forward to seeing you there, along with the L’Express team, several of its columnists and the mayor of Saint-Raphaël.
Nicolas Bouzou