Milei appointee vows to rid Paris student residence of 'woke ideology'

The director of Casa Argentina has said he wants to eradicate “woke ideology" from the student residence at the prestigious Cité U campus in Paris, after City Hall called on the French government to investigate his management.

Casa Argentina is one of almost 50 residences at the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris, which hosts around 12,000 students, researchers and artists from 150 nationalities each year.

Appointed by President Javier Milei's government in 2024, Franco-Argentine lawyer Santiago Muzio has found himself at the centre of controversy amid accusations that he expelled residents, removed a plaque paying tribute to those who disappeared during Argentina's dictatorship and hosted far-right meetings.

Paris City Hall on July 30 called on French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot to launch an "investigation" into his management. 

Barrot said on Tuesday that France was holding "ongoing discussions with the Argentine authorities.”

Reporting by the AFP news agency revealed residents during the 2025-2026 academic year described a "mini-dictatorship" at the residence, where they said people lived in "constant fear" and without "freedom of expression.”

The director did not respond to AFP's questions.

But in comments to the conservative newspaper Journal du Dimanche (JDD) over the weekend, Muzio said his project was to "root this place out of the clutches of the far left and woke ideology" and to restore "order and discipline" at the residence.

The term "woke" is frequently used by some conservative groups as a pejorative label to criticise progressive policies.

The official said his refusal to sign the Cité U's Charter of Values was based on "the line of the Argentine government, which recognises the existence of two sexes: male and female.”

The Charter of Values, available on the Cité U website, calls simply for "equality and non-discrimination" on the grounds of "gender [and] sexual orientation.”

Regarding the far-right meetings, Muzio said they were part of the "rental of reception spaces to restore the residence to financial balance.”

Casa Argentina reports directly to Argentina's Human Capital Ministry.

The controversy comes weeks before Milei is due to visit Paris, in late September.

– TIMES/AFP