Racism and xenophobia: a mysterious club "for Europeans" is set to open its doors in Paris

This is the news making waves all over Paris. In an investigation published on Monday, February 3rd by Libération, journalist Laurent Léger tells us about a certain « private club of the Circle », a meeting place « reserved for Europeans », that is set to open its doors soon in the heart of the capital. A « space of segregation » established by the Iliade Institute – a far-right think tank that aims to defend the « white race », as can be read on the Wikipedia page of the association – which, of course, is clearly serving the racist and xenophobic ideas of its members and supporters.

A stronghold for the far-right in the heart of the capital

While the existence of the Cercle Europa has just been revealed, its funding has been in place for several months now. Last November, a fundraising event took place in a confidential setting, gathering donors and figures from the identitarian far-right – including Alice Cordier, president of the Nemesis collective (editor's note: a group of radical identitarian women close to the RN and Éric Zemmour's party) and RN-associated deputy Anne Sicard – all there to support the project with generous checks.

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Une publication partagée par Libération (@liberationfr)

Set to open in May 2025, the Cercle Europa will take place in a 220 m2 space right in the heart of Paris. Behind the promise of a “space of freedom and meeting for Europeans”, its founders actually aim to create a venue reserved for a carefully selected elite, defined by openly racial criteria. A space exclusively for whites, in other words. According to one of the guests interviewed by Libération, the organizers say they want to provide “physical spaces that, they say, keep them from being hunted down by the left, the power, the system ”. This rhetoric fully aligns with the identity discourses promoted by this circle of "reflection" of
Figures of the Extreme Right at Work

Behind this initiative, the Iliade Institute, led by several figures from the French extreme right, including Jean-Yves Le Gallou, Philippe Conrad, and Bernard Lugan, is eager to put its ideas into action. On the agenda: a shop selling books and “ high-end ” products, a conference room, a work lounge, and also a bar “ where, according to its creators, 'the beauty and intelligence of our traditions should reign' ,” writes Libération. In short, a carefully staged setup to spread identity and racist ideas under the guise of cultural refinement.

Donc, en 2025, il existe encore des initiatives qui prennent des airs de ségrégation pure et simple sous le prétexte d’un « club privé pour Européens » ? Vous n’avez plus honte, vraiment. L’Institut Iliade, cette structure d’extrême droite, joue à peine la carte du sous-entendu :…

— I L L A N (@illaninspire) February 4, 2025

Choosing Paris is no small matter: a symbol of diversity and mixing, the city is now the target of an identity project trying to legitimize its ideology under the guise of tradition and elitism. By investing in the intellectual and cultural heart of the country, these groups aim to impose their reactionary vision. It remains to be seen if the capital will be able to respond to this phenomenon and take a stand against the segregationist ideologies that seek to thrive there.