“On 16 July 1995, at the Vel d’Hiv in Paris, Jacques Chirac gave a speech that was hailed for its lucidity and its courage. The day before, questioned by French national daily Libération, I had spoken of the need to compensate what could be, to return the material property that had been despoiled and to do justice to the orphans. Thanks to the decisive momentum given by Jacques Chirac, the government of Prime Minister Alain Juppé set up the CIVS, the so-called Matteoli commission. I was one of the members of the commission which was given the task of creating a detailed historical record of the persecutions and spoliations and of assessing the value of the property taken away which had not been returned after the war. Lionel Jospin, Alain Juppé’s successor, supported the work of the Matteoli commission and approved and followed its recommendations.
However, the mission of the CIVS cannot be indefinite; it’s time to fix a reasonable closing date because it has indeed accomplished its goal. To keep the CIVS going would be costly and not beneficial for the general interest, because the cases of the genuine and rightful beneficiaries have been dealt with fairly. 2012 will mark the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the deportation of French Jews. The first convoy left Drancy and Compiegne on 27 March 1942. It would be good if by then there was no longer any case outstanding and the foreclosure date for applications to the CIVS should be fixed at 31 December 2011.”
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