Topic Description

It is July 1799. France, having emerged from the blood-soaked throes of revolution and the chaos of the Reign of Terror, is now in the hands of the French Directory — a five-man executive charged with preserving the fragile republic. Yet the nation teeters on the edge of collapse. Inflation has made the new currency worthless. Starvation haunts Paris. Royalist sentiment simmers in the countryside. And abroad, the monarchies of Europe sharpen their swords in anticipation of France’s failure. The Directory, plagued by corruption, indecision, and factionalism, has convened a special committee of prominent political, cultural, and military figures to salvage the Revolution’s legacy. From radical Jacobins and anti-clerical republicans to disillusioned moderates and ambitious generals, the members of this committee represent every corner of the divided French nation. Delegates in this crisis committee will be tasked with stabilizing the French Republic in the face of overwhelming adversity. Can food riots be quelled before they spark civil war? Can the economy be revived without alienating the very citizens the Revolution sought to liberate? Can the committee unify long enough to check Napoleon’s rising ambition—or will it fracture, opening the door to dictatorship? Can the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity survive, or will they fall to fear, ambition, and the inevitable tide of war? The future of France, and perhaps the future of democratic governance in Europe, is in your hands.

Ved Pant - Director

Ved Pant is a junior at Harvard studying Applied Mathematics. He was born and raised in Mumbai, India, where he was first introduced to Model UN through IRC conferences like HMUN India. At Harvard, Ved is deeply invested in the MUN world, competing with Harvard's intercollegiate Model UN Team on the American circuit, organizing HMUN India as its Director General, and staffing HMUN's Boston high school and collegiate conferences. He previously served as the Under Secretary General of Operations and Director of the ECOFIN at HMUN Dubai's 2025 inaugural in-person conference, and is excited to return again this year. Beyond Model UN, Ved is involved with The Harvard College Consulting Group, The Charles River Growth Fund, and political science research. He is excited to meet you all in Dubai soon!