Conférence Olivaint
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| Named after | Father Pierre Olivaint |
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| Formation | 1874 |
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Region
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France |
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Membership
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Limited to 150 |
| Affiliations | Olivaint Conference of Belgium |
| Website | http://www.conferenceolivaint.fr |
The Conférence Olivaint is the oldest, and one of the most private French student societies, established in 1875. Its aim is to educate its members for public life. As its name would indicate, its main activity is organizing weekly conferences with notable characters of French public life. It is made up of young people under 30 (branche Jeunes) and an alumni branch (branche Anciens).
Named after Father Pierre Olivaint, a French priest martyred during the Paris Commune, the Conference was founded by the Jesuits. At first, the goal was for members to infiltrate the political world of the nascent French Third Republic.
After World War I, the Conference opened up and became a forum for men of all stripes such as Georges Bidaultor Robert Schuman. During World War II, all members joined the fight, half on the side of the Resistance, and half as collaborators.
After the war, the majority of members leaned toward Christian democracy and were strongly pro-European. In 1968, the Conference was secularized under the presidency of Laurent Fabius (youth branch) and Hervé de Charette (alumni branch). During the 1980s, many young people were recruited into François Mitterrand's staff by alumni such as Jacques Attali and Hubert Védrine. In the past years, the Conference has begun to emerge from its traditional secrecy and has allowed more light to be shed on its activities.
The Conference's rules limit its membership to 150. Members are co-opted. They must submit a written application and undergo an interview by the Conference's board. Membership of the youth branch is limited to three years, after which members must apply again to be admitted to the alumni network.
Membership of professionals must not exceed a third of the total youth membership. Among the students, many are drawn from the Paris Institute of Political Studies, and the others from the grandes écoles and law faculties.
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