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Aymeric Chauprade

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Aymeric Chauprade (born 13 January 1969) is a French writer, political scientist and politician. He left the National Front on 9 November 2015, mostly for "moral and political" principles, to found Les Français Libres. A student and disciple of François Thual,[1] he is an advocate of realpolitik.[2] He was elected to the European Parliament from the National Front for the Île-de-France constituency in the 2014 European Parliament election.[3]

Aymeric Chauprade
MEP
Member of the European Parliament
In office
1 July 2014 – 1 July 2019
ConstituencyÎle-de-France
Personal details
Born (1969-01-13) 13 January 1969 (age 55)
La Ferté-Bernard, France
Political partyNational Front (2013-2015)
LFL (from 2016)
Alma materSciences Po
Paris Descartes University
Occupation
  • author
  • international consultant
  • lawyer
Alma materInstitute of Political Studies (Paris)
Known forGeopolitics, constants and changes in history, Chronicle of the clash of civilizations
Scientific career
FieldsPolitical science, Geopolitics, Geohistory

Biography

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Career

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Graduating from the Paris Institute of Political Studies in 1993, Chauprade received a Master of International Law degree in 1996 and a doctorate in political science in 2001 from Paris Descartes University.[4] Trained in mathematics,[citation needed] he is a lecturer in geopolitics at the Royal College of Higher Military Education of the Kingdom of Morocco, director of the Revue française de géopolitique (French Review of Geopolitics) and editor of several collections published by Ellipses in Paris (Grands enjeux, Taupe-Niveau and Référence géopolitique). From 2003 to 2009, Chauprade was a lecturer on the history of political ideas at the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland. He has taught at the Collège interarmées de défense (CID: French Joint Defense College) since 1999, where he oversees geopolitics courses.

Chauprade is a contributor to African historian Bernard Lugan's magazine, L'Afrique réelle (Real Africa), works for Dominique Venner's La Nouvelle Revue d'Histoire. He dedicated his book, Géopolitique, constantes et changements dans l'histoire (Geopolitics, Constants and Changes in History) to the students at CID. Chauprade is an officer in the French Naval Reserve.[citation needed]

After the publication of his book, Chronique du choc des civilisations ("Chronicle of the Clash of Civilizations" reedited in 2015), Chauprade was accused by French journalist Jean Guisnel[5] of espousing September 11 conspiracy theories. He was always fighting against those allegations which he found false. Chauprade was removed from his chair at the CID by Supervising Minister Hervé Morin in early February 2009.[6][7][8]

During the controversy, Chauprade (who filed a complaint against the Minister and the magazine Le Point) received support from CID students[9] and his former university professor Edmond Jouve.[10] Although CID head Vincent Desportes expressed reservations about Chauprade's writings, Desportes said: "He has never proselytized in his courses or expressed his vision of the world".[11]

A website supporting Chauprade was set up. On 24 March 2009 the Paris Administrative Court ruled in his favour, suspending Morin's decision and saying that the minister had violated a "fundamental freedom".[12][13] On 1 June 2011 the court upheld its ruling, saying that Morin's decision resulted "from an irregular procedure".[14]

Chauprade organized a conference with Jacques Frémeaux and Philippe Evanno in February 2013 at the Sorbonne (University of Paris IV) on threats in North Africa and the Sahel and Europe's overall security (Menaces en Afrique du Nord et au Sahel et sécurité globale de l'Europe), the proceedings of which were published in April 2013 by Ellipses Editions.[15] Since January 2010, he has funded a geopolitical website.[16] He is recognized as one of 100 most important international authors in geopolitics and International relations("Les grands théoriciens des relations intérnationales" 2015, Studyrama).

The daughter of the spokesperson of Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Elizaveta Peskova, is an assistant to him in the European Parliament.[17]

Geopolitics

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According to Chauprade, he follows a new French geopolitical school emphasizing realpolitik and deemphasizing ideology. Its ideas appear in the Revue française de géopolitique (French Review of Geopolitics) and the International Academy of Geopolitics, of which Chauprade is secretary-general.[18] His geopolitical philosophy follows that of François Thual, and can be found in the introduction to Géopolitique, constantes et changements dans l'histoire.[19] Chauprade maintains strong relations with Morocco[20] (where he teaches), and travels regularly to the Middle East, Central Europe, Central Asia, Russia[21] and China.

Civilisations

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According to Jean-Marc Huissoud, Chauprade is considered a founder of the new French geopolitics, describing the "continuous and discontinuous" in his analysis of international questions.[citation needed] Chauprade has said, "France is at war against some Muslims, not at war with the Muslims but with some Muslims".[22] In his interview for ITélé he said that France is better than a race, it's a civilization. Chauprade defends Judeo-Christian roots of Europe.[23]

Politics

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Chauprade supported the list headed by Philippe de Villiers in the 2004 European Parliament election.[24] Chauprade should be the National Front's top candidate in the Île-de-France district for the 2014 European elections and Le Pen's advisor on foreign-policy issues.

In an interview with the French bi-monthly magazine L'Homme nouveau on 27 November 2013, he said that the "ideological bipolarity" separating the world is no longer the one opposing liberalism and communism (which are "two materialisms") but the one opposing "materialism and traditionalism": "On one side are those who believe that the individual is the supreme value, on the other are those who think that transcendence or the common good are superior to the human person".[25] Chauprade's "commitment is clearly in the second camp," and he intends "to participate in a project that not only raises the issue of identity in France, but also raises the problem of materialism and rehabilitates transcendence in politics".

Chauprade defends the multipolar vision of politics which includes peaceful relations with Russia and the USA. He travelled to Crimea to "monitor" the Crimean status referendum,[26] having been invited by the far-right Eurasian Observatory for Democracy & Elections (EODE) according to La Libération[27] He was personally commenting the events live on Russia Today on 16 March.

In his ITélé interview of 9 November 2015 Chauprade appealed for the return of Philippe de Villiers and showed a strong desire of work by his side.

Quitting National Front

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On 9 November 2015, he announces quitting the National Front for "moral and ideological issues".[28] Like some other members, he deplores the influence of Florian Philippot on Marine Le Pen and the party's political path.[28]

He also stated that Alain Soral's anti-Semitic[29] influence on a part of the party is one of the main reasons that made him quit the National Front. He stands for a right-wing recomposition.[30]

On her side, Marine Le Pen claimed that "after the Air Cocaine gate, our disagreements with Aymeric Chauprade became too important for him to stay at the National Front". At the European Parliament, he quit the Europe of Nations and Freedom group (ENL), which he joined at its creation, and became an independent MEP.

On 13 January 2016 he announces the creation of his own party, Les Francais Libres, with the purpose of "unifying a credible and assumed right wing". He refused to make a choice during 2017's French presidential election between "globalised socialism and a nationalist socialism".[31]

In April 2016, he admitted to being closer to Les Républicains and wishes to "take part in an eventual government from the right wing" without taking part in the election of Les Républicains' candidate to run for office. At the European Parliament he tried to join the French delegation of the European Popular Party, and Valeurs actuelles stated that "even benefiting from Michele Alliot-Marie's, Nadine Morano's and Brice Hortefeux’s support, he faces oppositions from juppeists".[32]

During the election of Les Républicains' candidate to run for office, he supported Nicolas Sarkozy for the first round and Francois Fillon for the second round.[33]

During the 2017 presidential election, he supported Fillon for the first round before supporting Emmanuel Macron in the second round.[34]

On 16 March 2017, he expressed himself for one of the first times on the "shadow men" around the National Front in an Envoyé Special documentary. According to him, "Marine Le Pen is not free, she is held by those people (Frédéric Chatillon, Axel Loustau et Philippe Péninque). If she comes to power, those people will too. There is no reason for this group to disappear. It will become the group that brought her to power. It is the National Front economy. They are Marine Le Pen's secret".[35]

When Macron visited the European Parliament on 17 April 2018, Chauprade congratulated him on his courage to initiate reforms.[36] He joined the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD) group, where he became vice-president.[37] It is a sovereignist sensitivity group that includes the Five-Star Movement of Italy and UKIP of Britain.[37]

"Air Cocaine" affair

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On 20 March 2013, two French passengers were arrested at the Punta Cana airport in the Dominican Republic while they were about to take off with suitcases filled with cocaine.[38] The flight was registered as a commercial one and the baggage was checked by the airport security. According to the Civil Aviation Law, airplane crews are not responsible for luggage content. However, the two pilots of the plane were arrested, with no distinction being made between them and the passengers by the Dominican police.[39]

Rapidly, a support committee was formed by Air France pilots and former French air force pilots. Bruno Odos and Pascal Forret were both former French Air Force pilots, and one was even part of the French strategic nuclear task.[40]

In autumn 2014, Chauprade joined the supporting committee on Christophe Naudin's (Airport Security expert and Criminologist) demand.

On 15 May 2015, Chauprade posted a video denouncing a justice denial made by the Dominican Republic. For a year and a half, the four Frenchmen, without any distinction, have seen their trial reported more than 30 times[41] and had no way to defend themselves.[42]

In August 2015, at the end of the trial, the 30 Dominican defendants were acquitted, and the 4 Frenchmen were declared guilty and sentenced to 20 years of prison.[43] At the end of the trial, the pilots appealed and remained free under surveillance. In October, they were extracted.[38]

The role played by Chauprade in the operation remains blurry. Did he facilitate it by his presence in the Dominican Republic while exfiltration took place?[44]

After the success of the extraction of the two pilots, the Dominican authorities blamed Chauprade and many others without having any evidence. Three international arrest warrants were issued by the Dominican Republic against Christophe Naudin, Aymeric Chauprade and Pierre Malinowski.

Being unable to present any criminal charge, the Dominican Republic fabricated charges against them for "people smuggling and trafficking in human beings".[45][46]

In June 2018, Chauprade was informed by Interpol that he had no investigation opened against him after the exfiltration of two French pilots from the Dominican Republic.[47]

Works

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  • L'espace économique francophone (Francophone (French-speaking) economic area), Paris, Ellipses, 1996.
  • Histoires d'Égypte (Histories of Egypt), Paris, Les Belles Lettres, 1996.
  • Beyrouth éternelle (Eternal Beirut), Paris, Asa Éditions, 1998 (translated in Arabic and English).
  • Dictionnaire de géopolitique (Dictionary of geopolitics) with François Thual, Paris, Ellipses, 2nd edition, 1999.
  • Introduction à l'analyse géopolitique (Introduction to geopolitical analysis), Paris, Ellipses, 1999 (sold out).
  • Les Balkans, la Guerre du Kosovo (en collaboration) (The Balkans, the Kosovo War (in collaboration)), Paris/Lausanne, L'Âge d'Homme, 2000.
  • Géopolitique des États-Unis (culture, intérêts, stratégies) (Geopolitics of the United States (culture, interests, strategies)), Paris, Ellipses, 2003.
  • Une nouvelle géopolitique du pétrole en Afrique (A new geopolitics of oil in Africa).
  • Géopolitique – Constantes et changements dans l'histoire (Geopolitics, constants and changes in history), Paris, Ellipses, 3rd edition 2007.
  • Chronique du choc des civilisations (Chronicle of the Clash of Civilizations), Éditions Chronique, January 2009.
  • L'Iran réel (The real Iran), Paris, Ellipses 2009 (under the direction of Aymeric Chauprade)
  • Chronique du choc des civilisations (Chronicle of the Clash of Civilizations), éditions Chronique, September 2011 (2nd edition completely revised and expanded)
  • Menaces en Afrique du Nord et au Sahel et sécurité globale de l'Europe (en collaboration avec Jacques Frémeaux et Philippe Evanno) (Threats in North Africa and in the Sahel and overall security of Europe), Ellipses, April 2013
  • Chronique du choc des civilisations, éditions Chronique, September 2013 (3rd edition updated and expanded)
  • Prévention des crises et promotion de la paix (Crisis Prevention and Peacebuilding), volume 3 (in collaboration), under the direction of Jean-Pierre Vettovaglia, preface by Abdou Diouf, éditions Emile Bruylant, October 2013

Other publications

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  • L'immigration extra-européenne, un défi majeur pour l'Union européenne (Non-European Immigration, a major challenge for the European Union), study for the Thomas-More Institute, July 2006 read online

References

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  1. ^ Jean Sévillia, Le poids des civilisations dans l'histoire, Le Figaro, 6 February 2009.
  2. ^ " Les frontières de l'Europe : pour un retour au réalisme géopolitique " Revue politique et parlementaire, no. 1036, July–August–September 2005, p. 116.
  3. ^ En Ile-de-France, l'UMP nettement devant le FN (in French) Le Point. 26 May 2014
  4. ^ La géopolitique : genèse d'une science politique, déterminants et modèles explicatifs, sous la direction d'Edmond Jouve, cf. identifiant pérenne notice Sudoc
  5. ^ « Chauprade, l'homme qui forme les officiers et déforme l'histoire », Jean Guisnel Le Point, 4 February 2009.
  6. ^ « Hervé Morin congédie un géopoliticien suite à un article du Point », Jean Guisnel Le Point, 5 February 2009.
  7. ^ « Morin limoge un gradé pour ses propos sur le 11 September », Le Nouvel Observateur, 5 February 2009.
  8. ^ « 11/9/complot : Morin limoge un prof », Le Figaro, 5 February 2009.
  9. ^ « Un enseignant du Collège interarmées de Défense congédié par Hervé Morin » Archived 24 February 2011 at Wikiwix, par Jean-Dominique Merchet, Secret défense, 5 February 2009.
  10. ^ Article Archived 13 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine sur le blog d'Edmond Jouve, 12 February 2009.
  11. ^ « Affaire Chauprade : le géopoliticien attaque Hervé Morin en justice », AgoraVox, 17 February 2009.
  12. ^ Le Figaro du 24 March 2009
  13. ^ Juritel. "La Jurisprudence gratuite en ligne (Juritel - Droit de l'internet, informations legales, contrats,..)". juritel.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  14. ^ « La justice donne raison à Aymeric Chauprade contre le ministère de la Défense » Archived 29 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine, par Jean-Dominique Merchet, Secret défense, 28 June 2011
  15. ^ "Menaces en Afrique du Nord et au Sahel et sécurité globale de l'Europe - Actes de colloque". editions-ellipses.fr. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  16. ^ "Realpolitik.tv, la géopolitique sur le net, depuis 2010. Site fondé par Aymeric Chauprade". realpolitik.tv. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  17. ^ Taylor, Simon (25 February 2019). "Daughter of Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov working for far-Right French MEP in Brussels". The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  18. ^ Jean-Marc Huissoud, Dictionnaire de géopolitique et de géoéconomie, sous la direction de Pascal Gauchon, PUF, 2011.
  19. ^ André Brigot, " Rejets et nécessité d'une géographie politique européenne Archived 13 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine ", Le Débat Stratégique, 47, 1999 et " Persistance et utilité des recherches de géopolitique Archived 13 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine ", Revue Québécoise – Études internationales, 2000.
  20. ^ "Le nouveau visage terroriste du Polisario".
  21. ^ "Conférence d'Aymeric Chauprade à Moscou, Mardi 18 mars 2014". alexandrelatsa.ru. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  22. ^ "YouTube". www.youtube.com.
  23. ^ Aymeric Chauprade (9 November 2015). "09/11/2015 - Tirs Croisés - L'invité politique de Laurence Ferrari" – via YouTube.
  24. ^ "Je voudrais saluer également et dans le même esprit, Aymeric Chauprade. Vous avez bien compris qu'Aymeric Chauprade, qui est le directeur des études de l'école de Guerre, a décidé de descendre dans l'arène. Il est connu sur les plateaux de télévision pour ses interventions de géopolitologue, il nous a apporté un message d'espoir exprimé brillamment. Je le remercie parce que, pour ceux qui ne le sauraient pas, il est reconnu non-seulement dans tous les milieux intellectuels, mais aussi bien au-delà par toutes les sensibilités souverainistes. On en a eu la preuve ce matin. Et merci de faire le lien avec toutes les sensibilités souverainistes qui vous reconnaissent et vous écoutent. " Philippe de Villiers, " L'agenda 2004 du souverainisme[permanent dead link] ", Université d'été du souverainisme, Lamoura, 7 September 2003.
  25. ^ – Aymeric Chauprade : l’ennemi, c’est la dictature du relativisme. L'Homme nouveau, 27 November 2013
  26. ^ Russki Mir - "National Front", Nowaja Gaseta, 17. Dezember 2014
  27. ^ Anton Shekhovtsov: Russia and the Western Far Right: Tango Noir Routledge Studies in Fascism and the Far Right, Routledge, 2017, ISBN 9781317199953, chapter "Cooperation with Civic Control"
  28. ^ a b "Aymeric Chauprade quitte le FN : "On ne peut pas penser au Front national" - Le Lab Europe 1".
  29. ^ "Alain Soral de nouveau condamné - LICRA". www.licra.org. 18 January 2018.
  30. ^ "Comment Alain Soral veut évincer Aymeric Chauprade du FN". Le Monde. 31 October 2014. Archived from the original on 3 November 2014. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  31. ^ "Aymeric Chauprade : le petit parti et le gros coup de com' de l'ex-FN". 13 January 2016.
  32. ^ "L'appel du pied très appuyé d'Aymeric Chauprade en direction des Républicains". Le Monde. 15 April 2016. Archived from the original on 18 January 2018. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  33. ^ "L'ex-FN Chauprade soutient Fillon pour barrer la route à Marine Le Pen". 22 November 2016.
  34. ^ "Pourquoi Aymeric Chauprade va voter Emmanuel Macron". 4 May 2017.
  35. ^ Envoyé Spécial, présenté par Élise Lucet, France 2, 16 mars 2017
  36. ^ "À Strasbourg, trois nuances de souverainisme face à Emmanuel Macron". 17 April 2018.
  37. ^ a b "Aymeric CHAUPRADE - Accueil - Députés - Parlement européen". www.europarl.europa.eu.
  38. ^ a b "Affaire Air Cocaïne : le rôle de Christophe Naudin en 9 dates". 2 May 2016.
  39. ^ "Les pilotes français ne veulent plus desservir la République Dominicaine". 25 February 2014.
  40. ^ Aymeric Chauprade (20 May 2015). "Soutien à nos pilotes français prisonniers" – via YouTube.
  41. ^ "Procès "Air cocaïne": Pascal Fauret et Bruno Odos devront encore attendre!". 9 March 2015.
  42. ^ ""Air cocaïne": 20 ans de prison requis contre l'Isérois Bruno Odos et le Rhodanien Pascal Fauret". 8 August 2015.
  43. ^ BFMTV. "Air cocaïne: "J'ai perdu foi en la justice dominicaine "".
  44. ^ ""Air cocaïne" : quel rôle a joué le député FN Aymeric Chauprade ? - France 24". 28 October 2015.
  45. ^ "Air Cocaïne : mandat d'arrêt dominicain contre trois Français qui avaient participé à l'évasion, dont Aymeric Chauprade". 23 November 2015.
  46. ^ magazine, Le Point (23 November 2015). "Air Cocaïne : Aymeric Chauprade "étonné" par un mandat d'arrêt "loufoque"".
  47. ^ Lettre de l'Expansion, lundi 23 juillet 2018, n° 2379
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