Consecration for Amin Maalouf. The 74-year-old Franco-Lebanese writer was elected Thursday, without much surprise, permanent secretary of the French Academy opposite his friend Jean-Christophe Rufin. Twenty-four votes were in favor of his candidacy, compared to eight for his competitor, a member of the administrative commission of the French Academy, who will hold a press conference in the afternoon, told AFP.
The permanent secretary is the member who directs this institution responsible for defending and promoting the French language. There have only been 32 people to occupy this position since 1635. It had been vacant since the death in August of Hélène Carrère d’Encausse, who had held it since 1999. Strictly speaking, she has not appointed a dolphin. . But Amin Maalouf, 1993 Goncourt Prize for The Rock of Taniosseemed his most natural successor.
Unanimity
His personality is unanimous, he is very involved in the activities of the institution where he was elected in 2011. “You are, in fact, a man of exquisite politeness and who shows great consideration on all occasions. for those to whom it is addressed,” praised a certain Jean-Christophe Rufin during his reception at the Academy in 2012.
Because this rival in the election is a friend. The 71-year-old former diplomat and 2001 Goncourt Prize winner (Red Brazil), was elected academician in 2008. He was delighted to welcome a man of whom he said: “I sometimes have the impression that our dreams have made us more than friends. Brothers. » This second candidate hesitated a lot. He even let people believe that he had given up, before taking the plunge.
Two pressing questions
Two pressing questions will occupy him. First, finances. The French Academy, like the other branches of the Institut de France, is in a delicate financial situation, which lives off the proceeds of its financial assets, and from donations and legacies.
Then, attractiveness. Rejuvenating and feminizing the “Company”, currently made up of twenty-eight men and seven women, is a long-standing objective, but very difficult to achieve. As the former permanent secretary (who insisted on the masculine), Hélène Carrère d’Encausse knew, “the green coat”, to be worn every Thursday, attracts retirees, very little the active ones. There is no shortage of seats to be filled: there are five today. But when younger candidates present themselves, nothing ensures their election. Thus, Frédéric Beigbeder or Benoît Duteurtre were failed in 2022, at the ages of 57 and 62 respectively.