True or false, is La Nef, a banking cooperative, linked to a sectarian movement?

In three French cities, the Nave is indirectly singled out for its ancient links with anthroposophy, an esoteric current suspected of sectarian drifts. Are these links verified? Here is what we can say about it.

Lyon, Besanon, Rennes: in these three cities run by left-wing union lists, the Nef (for New Fraternal Economy) is talked about. Recently, opposition councilors have criticized the choice made by these municipalities to borrow money (1) this banking cooperative, founded in 1979 and specializing in the financing of projects for ecological, social or cultural added value, as indicated on its website.

For what? Because of the links between the Nave and anthroposophy, a movement of pseudoscientific thought, created at the beginning of the 20th century by the Austrian Rudolf Steiner and which mixes notions borrowed from various religions and esoteric movements. Current of which certain branches in France, in the field of education or medicine, are in the crosshairs of Miviludes (2)who suspects them of sectarian drives.

In Rennes, for example, Charles Compagnon, leader of the right-wing opposition, was surprised at the end of January that a city like Rennes which highlights secularism as one of its main values ​​borrows a structure which flirts with this type organization or at least which finances the schools, as reported by the regional daily The Telegram. Criticisms which resemble like two drops of water those proffered Lyon and Besanon, also by right-wing opponents.

These local account settlements don’t come out of nowhere. In its 2021 activity report, published at the beginning of November 2022, Miviludes quotes the Nef, once again, in the introduction to its chapter devoted to anthroposophy. [La Socit anthroposophique universelle] also exercises a preponderant influence on certain ethical banking establishments with extremely significant financial power, such as Triodos, GLS or, in France, the New Fraternal Economy (Nef), indicates The report.

However, they occur in a particular context for the Nave. In June 2022, the banking cooperative filed with the ACPR, the financial sector regulator, a new license application. It should enable it to free itself from the supervision of the Crdit Coopratif and become the leading ethical and independent bank in Franceable to offer its customers current accounts and means of payment, in addition to the savings and credit products it already distributes.

The banking cooperative La Nef wants to free itself from Crdit coopratif

Is the Nave actually linked to anthroposophy?

There is, in fact, historical links between the Nef, founded in 1979, and anthroposophy. The founders of the credit cooperative, Jean-Pierre Bideau and Henri Nouyrit, were among the French members of the movement inspired by Rudolf Steiner. It is the social aspect of his writings, placing respect for the human person at the center of all economic and financial mechanisms, which has particularly interested [ces] founders, explains the Nef today on its website, in a long Frequently Asked Questions dedicated to the subject.

In this same text, the cooperative explains, however, that this link with anthroposophy has diluted over time, as it was joined in very large numbers (it had 202,242,000 members), partners and new members from environmental movements and the social and solidarity economy (…): It is with these people, who have become majorities and this for many years, that the proper identity of the Nave has been formed. She claims today to cultivate a total political, religious or philosophical independence.

Is La Nef accused of sectarian drives?

She has been in the past. In 1999, a report by the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry into Sects, the ancestor of Miviludes, accused it of sectarian excesses, like other movements inspired by anthroposophy. This accusation, however, was found to be defamatory by the courts., entered by the Nave. In the crowd, in 2003, the Banking Commission, the ancestor of the ACPR, confirmed, after an investigation in the premises of the Nave, its total financial autonomy and its political, social, religious and philosophical independence.

The 2021 Miviludes report does not rebut these accusations. He contents himself with quoting La Nave, once again, in the introduction to the chapter, pointing out, moreover, the risks of sectarian deviations from anthroposophical medicine and the Steiner-Waldorf schools, inspired by the pedagogical principles of Rudolf Steiner. A quote that arouses some misunderstanding in the Nave, which questions the quality of the investigative work. We tried to discuss with Miviludes, without success, explains MoneyVox Ivan Chaleil, member of the executive board of the Nef, who affirms that no leader, nor any member were questioned by the mission.

Does La Nef fund schools related to anthroposophy?

She has done this in the past, but claims that this is no longer the case. On its website, the Nef explains that it has not financed Steiner schools since 2019. That year, this represented 1 loan out of 445 and 0.15% of the total loan amount. The cooperative also notes that several Steiner-Waldorf schools in France are not financed by the Nef and are financed by other banks which do not publish the list of their financing. Conversely, the Nave practices a total transparency on the beneficiaries of its funding, by publishing the list each year, available on its website.

La Nef, finally, explains that this financing is part of a policy of financing active pedagogies in the broad sense or projects of ecological and solidarity commitments of educational establishments. La Nef has also financed Montessori, Freynet and Democratic schools (Sudbury type), as well as public schools through the financing of local authorities.

Do these accusations call into question the approval of the Nave?

A priori, no. Following the Commission Bancaire’s investigation in 2003, La Nef was able to continue its activities which, like all banking activities, are constantly supervised and monitored by the ACPR. Submitted in June 2022, the new authorization application currently being examined by the regulatory authorities resulted in additional information being sent last November. La Nave now hopes to see it completed by the end of the first quarter of 2023.

The cooperative, on the other hand, fears the impact of these accusations on its activity. This campaign of political recovery has gnr of concern among our members, but also among our 115 employees, three quarters of whom did not even know what anthroposophy was, explains Ivan Chaleil, who also fears that certain local authorities apply a precautionary principle by no longer addressing the Nave.

(1) 3million euros Lyon, 2million Besanon, twice 4million euros Rennes. (2) Interministerial mission attached to the Minister of the Interior, responsible in particular for observing sectarian phenomena, informing the public about the risks and coordinating actions to prevent and repress sectarian aberrations.

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