French billionaire Pierre-Edouard Stérin has used his first appearance before lawmakers to lay bare his "meta-political" campaign to bring free-market and conservative ideas into power to battle "socialism, wokism, Islamism and immigration", less than a year before France’s presidential election.
Issued on: 05/06/2026 - 08:46
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The self-made entrepreneur and tax exile was summoned to appear before the Senate as part of an inquiry into political finance that is investigating in part whether Stérin's organisations are abiding by regulations. “Our aim is to spread free-market, conservative ideas as widely as possible," Sterin told senators on Thursday, describing his operation as "meta-political". "We hope it will, in the coming months and years, bring free-market, conservative right‑wing ideas to power in France.” Stérin, who has previously declined to appear in response to parliamentary summons, denied any wrongdoing. “There is no ongoing legal procedure, no investigation, no breach of the law,” he said.
Pierre-Edouard Stérin attends the Senate hearing by video link on 4 June, 2026. AFP - -
