Louis Salleron (15 August 1905 – 20 January 1992) was a French author, journalist and Catholic theoretician. He was right-wing, with monarchist sympathies, and an advocate of agricultural corporatism. During the early years of the

Vichy Regime Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the defeat against ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

(1939–45) he played a leading role in establishing the

Peasant Corporation The Peasant Corporation () was a Paris-based organization created in Vichy France to support a corporatist structure of agricultural syndicates. The Ministry of Agriculture was unenthusiastic and undermined the corporation, which was launched with ...

. He continued to publish books and articles after the war, and was an outspoken opponent of the

Vatican II The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the or , was the 21st and most recent Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. The council met each autumn from 1962 to 1965 in St. Peter's Basilic ...

reforms to the Catholic church.

Life

Early years (1905–39)

Louis Salleron was born on 15 August 1905. He was the brother of the journalist and writer

Paul Sérant Paul Sérant is the pen name of Paul Salleron (19 March 1922 – 4 October 2002), a French journalist and writer. He was the brother of the Catholic theoretician Louis Salleron. He was a great lover of the French language, but was also a love ...

(Paul Salleron). He was close to the Henri, Count of Paris. From the mid-1930s he was a theoretician of agricultural

corporatism Corporatism is an ideology and political system of interest representation and policymaking whereby Corporate group (sociology), corporate groups, such as agricultural, labour, military, business, scientific, or guild associations, come toget ...

, looking for a "third way" between

Liberalism Liberalism is a Political philosophy, political and moral philosophy based on the Individual rights, rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality, the right to private property, and equality before the law. ...

and

Socialism Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

. He was active in the National Union of Agricultural Unions (UNSA), and from 1935 worked with the L'Institut d'études corporatives et sociales (IECS). His thesis in law, sustained in 1937, was entitled ''L'évolution de l'agriculture française, du régime foncier au régime corporatif''. He was a professor of political economics at the Catholic Institute of Paris from 1937 to 1957. At the Peasant Congress at Caen on 5–7 May 1937

Jacques Le Roy Ladurie Jacques Jules Marie Joseph Le Roy Ladurie (; 28 March 1902 – 6 June 1988) was a French agriculturalist and politician. He played a leading role in agricultural syndicates in the 1920s and 1930s. During World War II (1939–1945) he was Minister ...

, influenced by Rémy Goussault and Louis Salleron, invited the leading conservative agrarians to declare their support for

. The weekly '' Syndicats paysans'', co-edited by Salleron and Le Roy Ladurie, first appeared on 1 July 1937.

World War II (1939–45)

Under the

Vichy government Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the defeat against ...

Salleron played a leading role in introducing the

. As the semi-official theoretician of the UNSA he was the main author of the draft law of September 1940 on the Corporation Paysanne, which would create a corporative structure in agriculture. After many revision and some opposition from the Germans, the Peasant Charter was promulgated on 2 December 1940. Salleron was made the corporation's delegate-general for economic and social questions. Salleron, speaking out against the "liberalo-Marxist error", advocated "the wholesale reservation of the present structure of the peasantry, which demographically, economically, socially and morally amounts to near-perfection." The corporation struggled to become effective, handicapped by a temporary structure, internal conflicts, and actions by the Ministry of Agriculture that reduced its authority and introduced reforms without consultation. By the end of the first year Salleron gave vent to his frustration, In response, Salleron was dismissed from his position in the Corporation in late 1941, and the weekly ''Syndicats paysans'' was closed soon after. Towards the end of the war, Salleron was starting to take a more realistic view of the necessary reforms. In 1944, he created draft proposals for agricultural planning in the postwar period, for large-scale technical assistance to reduce costs, and for farm equipment cooperatives.

Later years (1945–92)

After the war, Salleron continued to publish in monarchist or Catholic journals such as ''Fédération'', ''La France catholique'' and ''

La Nation française LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note *"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smi ...

''. He led conferences on corporatist thought at the Centre d'études politiques, économiques et civiques (CEPEC), which was founded in 1954. In 1956, Salleron and

Jean Madiran Jean Arfel (14 June 1920 – 31 July 2013), better known by his pen name Jean Madiran (), was a French right-wing editor, journalist and a traditionalist Catholic writer who was born in Libourne. He has also used the pen name Jean-Louis Lagor. ...

founded the journal ''Itinéraires'', which later became a leading organ for criticism of the reforms within the Catholic Church after the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the or , was the 21st and most recent ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. The council met each autumn from 1962 to 1965 in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City for session ...

of 1962–65. Louis Salleron died on 20 January 1992.

Works

Louis Salleron wrote more than fifty works on Liberalism and the Catholic faith. He contributed to many reviews. In 1942, the

Académie française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

awarded the Academy Prize of 5,000 francs for his ''La Terre et le Travail''. In 1952, the Académie française awarded him the Prix J.-J. Weiss of 2,000 francs for ''Les Catholiques et le Capitalisme''. Publications include: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Notes

Sources

* * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Salleron, Louis 1905 births 1992 deaths 20th-century French journalists French political writers French traditionalist Catholics People from Sèvres People of Vichy France Corporatism UNSA leaders