Catholic University of the West relinquishes the patronage of Pierre-Edouard Stérin, in response to demands from its students
In a significant development, the president of a prominent university announced the severing of ties with donor Pierre-Edouard Stirin on September 16. The decision comes after a series of revelations about Stirin's involvement in various French institutions.
On September 11, media outlets Disclose, La Topette, and Reflets.info disclosed the existence of the John Henry Newman investment fund, financed by Stirin, which is dedicated to university research development. This fund reportedly contributed 627,000 euros out of the university's 50 million euros in revenue.
Stirin, who is associated with the far-right, leads the Pericles project, an acronym for "Patriots, Rooted, Resistant, Identitarian, Christian, Liberal, European, Sovereignist". The Pericles project is used by Stirin to wage his cultural war, as several municipalities have distanced themselves from the "Plus belles fêtes de France" association this summer following exposure of its links with Stirin. The association promotes local traditions but has been accused of discreetly imposing Stirin's ideology.
The Stade Rochelais multisports club was involved in a charity event organized by a Stirin-led structure, "La Nuit du Bien commun", this year. The charity event, which took place at the end of September, is another example of Stirin's influence in French institutions.
However, it's important to note that there are no relevant search results indicating any influence of Pierre-Edouard Stirin on French universities in recent years, apart from the aforementioned university and the John Henry Newman investment fund.
Stirin's influence has also been seen in the political sphere. He was behind the 2020 municipal campaign of RN Philippe Vardon in Nice, a far-right candidate. The UCO students view the school as an "ideological battleground" due to Stirin's influence, with the student authors of an op-ed stating that Stirin aims to ensure the ideological, electoral, and political victory of an alliance between the far-right and conservative right in France.
The UCO students' decision to cut ties with Stirin allows for the protection of the university's neutrality and independence. The investment, which was projected to reach 20 million euros by 2030, will no longer be a part of the university's revenue.
As the investigations continue, it remains to be seen how Stirin's influence will affect other French institutions in the future.
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