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A look backFirst edition

Tribune Bleue 2025

‘O free man, you shall always cherish the sea!’

— Charles Baudelaire

Final held on 8 March 2025 — 10:00 · Amphithéâtre Richelieu, Sorbonne

A view of the Sorbonne’s Grand Amphitheatre during the final, beneath the glass roof

  • 220

    applications

  • 15

    finalists

  • Près de 500

    finalists

  • 3

    winners

  • Plus de 200 000

    people affected on social media

The outcome

The 2025 edition of the Tribune Bleue marked a decisive turning point for the maritime world’s public speaking competition. No fewer than 220 candidates responded to the call, mobilised by ten partner public speaking associations from France’s leading grandes écoles and universities. The grand final, held in the Richelieu Amphitheatre at the Sorbonne, brought together nearly 500 participants, confirming the growing enthusiasm amongst young people for ocean-related issues. With 15 finalists and 3 winners, the Tribune Bleue has established itself as an unmissable event fostering dialogue between the maritime and academic worlds.

Media coverage amplified this success: over 200,000 people reached on social media, features on France Inter and Sud Radio, as well as coverage in Marine & Océans and *La Revue des Deux Mondes*. As the highlight of this year’s event, the winners had the opportunity to inaugurate the Green Zone at the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC-3) and to represent the voice of young people before international institutional leaders. In just one edition, the Tribune Bleue has demonstrated its ability to combine oratorical excellence, national visibility and tangible impact in decision-making circles.

Read: Deep Blue opens the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC-3)

The winners

  • First Prize — SMLH Grand Prix

    Mahaba Al Qahwachi

    Paris Dauphine-PSL

    « La Méditerranée ne connaît pas de ligne d’horizon : elle est le prolongement du ciel. » — Alexandre Najjar

    Political science student. Award of €1,500 and an opportunity to speak at UNOC 2025.

  • Joint first prize — SMLH Grand Prix

    Robin Dubreuil

    Université Paris-Panthéon-Assas et École normale supérieure

    « La mer est plus qu’un métier, plus qu’un combat : c’est un duel entre l’homme et l’infini. » — Victor Hugo

    Public law student. A prize of €1,500 and the opportunity to speak at UNOC 2025.

  • Audience Award — Marine & Océans Award

    Malo Billecocq

    Lycée Notre-Dame de la Merci

    « J’ai trouvé ma lune dans les profondeurs de la mer. » — Jacques-Yves Cousteau

    A prize of €1,000 and a subscription to Marine & Océans magazine.

The 15 finalists

  • Robin Dubreuil

    Université Paris-Panthéon-Assas et École normale supérieure

  • Mahaba Al Qahwachi

    Paris Dauphine-PSL

  • Malo Billecocq

    Lycée Notre-Dame de la Merci

  • Dorian Tourte

  • Thibaud Girard

  • Félicia Mintsigou Poumba

  • Benjamin Leclerc

  • William Hage

  • Grégoire Drouot

  • Lucie Hacques

  • Théophile Menguy

  • Alfred de la Bellière

  • Judy Anbar

  • Salomé Israël

  • Omrane Slamani

Members of the jury

  • Alain ColdefyPresident of the jury : Admiral, former Major-General of the Armed Forces ; President of the SMLH
  • Francis VallatByAcadémie de marine, Founding President of the French and European maritime clusters; Chair of the Editorial and Strategy Committee at Marine & Océans ; Honorary President of the French Institute of the Sea
  • Jacques RougerieArchitect, oceanographer , Member of the Academy of Fine Arts
  • Nadège BaptistaDeputy Prefect for Equal Opportunities
  • Aurélie JuliaDirector of the Revue des Deux Mondes
  • Muriel RéusEntrepreneur, founder and President of Femmes avec… Colonel in the Gendarmerie
  • José-Manuel LamarqueColumnist for France Inter — Coastal Chronicles
  • Pierre FauryContent creator specialising in public speaking

Speeches & addresses

  • Opening address by La Baleine — UNOC3, Nice, 2 June 2025

    Robin Dubreuil — Winner of the 2025 Tribune Bleue

  • Speech at the opening of La Baleine — UNOC3, Nice, 2 June 2025

    Mahaba Al Qahwachi — Winner of the 2025 Tribune Bleue

In pictures

  • Group photo on the steps of the Sorbonne courtyard
    © Hugues-Marie Stemler x Jean Tertrais / SMLH
  • The jury, seated at a table facing the stage, in front of the packed amphitheatre
    © Hugues-Marie Stemler x Jean Tertrais / SMLH
  • A speaker on stage in front of the lecture theatre and the judges’ table
    © Hugues-Marie Stemler x Jean Tertrais / SMLH
  • A candidate takes the floor at the lectern at La Tribune Bleue
    © Hugues-Marie Stemler x Jean Tertrais / SMLH
  • A candidate at the La Tribune Bleue lectern, in front of the Legion of Honour banner
    © Hugues-Marie Stemler x Jean Tertrais / SMLH
  • A candidate at the microphone, behind the lectern at La Tribune Bleue
    © Hugues-Marie Stemler x Jean Tertrais / SMLH
  • The audience applauds from the stands of the amphitheatre
    © Hugues-Marie Stemler x Jean Tertrais / SMLH
  • Receiving an award on stage, cheque in hand
    © Hugues-Marie Stemler x Jean Tertrais / SMLH
  • Winners pose on stage with their cheques
    © Hugues-Marie Stemler x Jean Tertrais / SMLH
  • Group photo of the finalists, the judging panel and the organisers on stage
    © Hugues-Marie Stemler x Jean Tertrais / SMLH
  • A musical interlude on the piano on the amphitheatre stage
    © Hugues-Marie Stemler x Jean Tertrais / SMLH

The final

Date
8 March 2025 — 10:00
Venue
Amphithéâtre Richelieu, Sorbonne 17, rue de la Sorbonne 75005 Paris

They have made this edition possible

Co-organised by

  • Deep Blue Foundation
  • Société des membres de la Légion d’honneur

Partners

The event schedule

  1. 19 January 2025Applications openSubmit a 3-minute video (maximum +10 per cent) on Charles Baudelaire’s line: ‘Free man, you will always cherish the sea!’
  2. 21 February 2025Closing date for applications
  3. 25 February 2025Announcement of the finalists
  4. 8 March 2025Grand Final
All editions of La Tribune Bleue
Retrospective — Tribune Bleue 2025 — Deep Blue Foundation