Affiliations Committee/Candidates/2025/Maxime Baidakov

Maxime Baidakov (Maxime Baidakov)

Maxime Baidakov (talk • meta edits • global user summary • CA)

Preferred name	Maxime Baidakov
What languages do you speak, and at what fluency level? (Please include your English proficiency.)	French (native), Russian (native), English (fluent), German (intermediate)
What region(s) of the world do you have experience with, and what kind of experience do you have? (“Experience” can mean you have lived or worked there or are currently living or working there; you’re familiar with the culture and language; etc.)	I was born and have always lived in Fontainebleau, in the greater Paris region of France, where I completed my schooling. I now study at a university in Paris, where I spend much of my time. I am particularly familiar with France and with various parts of Europe, where I have travelled extensively since childhood. Before the war and the pandemic, I would spend every summer in Russia for family reasons, both in the Kuban region and in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. With a strong interest in languages, I have built a natural grounding across Romance, Slavic, and Germanic linguistic and cultural spheres.
What Wikimedia project(s) do you actively edit? And in what language(s)?	I'm most active on French Wikipedia (admin), Commons and Wikidata.
What affiliate(s) are you actively involved with? In what capacity are you involved? Do you serve in a leadership role or have you in the past?	I have been a member of Wikimedia France since 2020 and became a member of its Board of Trustees in 2025, serving until 2028.
Have you served on any committees (movement-related or otherwise)? And what was your role on the committee(s)?	I have not yet had the honor of serving on any of the committees within Wikimedia. On the contrary, this enables me to bring an external and fresh perspective to the Affiliations Committee.
Please describe any experience you have with conflict resolution and/or consensus building.	I approach conflict resolution by staying outside the confrontation and focusing on people first. To me, consensus is not about avoiding clarity, but about creating space for honest views expressed with respect. My multicultural background and varied activities help me find points of connection and build trust, while my legal training enables me to clarify issues and guide constructive dialogue. I also know when pragmatism is needed: if insisting would only deepen a wound, it is often wiser to move forward and let time restore the conditions for productive discussion.
In your ideal world, what does the affiliate model and ecosystem look like?	In an increasingly connected world, where most coordination happens online (especially after the Covid pandemic), affiliates should act as geographical anchors that strengthen the local presence of Wikimedia projects. Their core mission would be to build essential human connections, deepen engagement on the ground, and cultivate partnerships with governmental, scientific, and cultural institutions. The movement and the AffCom should share responsibility to elevate these affiliates: to give them visibility, credibility, and the legitimacy to act. Operating with international backing provides affiliates with the critical mass they need, especially when external stakeholders tend to conflate all structures regardless of internal distinctions.
In your ideal world, what are AffCom’s roles and responsibilities in relation to the movement and affiliates?	AffCom should function as a facilitator: ensuring smooth communication not only with the Foundation, but also across affiliates. Its role should include encouraging concrete points of contact, linking affiliates with complementary projects, enabling practical collaboration, and supporting emerging groups with clarity and fairness. Beyond global objectives, AffCom should help turn shared ideas into real, operational partnerships on the ground.
What role within AffCom are you most interested in: advisory or voting member?	Advisory member