A French leftist politician is causing quite the stir, demanding the return of the Statue of Liberty to France. Raphaël Glucksmann, a member of the European Parliament (MEP), is criticizing America’s current values under President Donald Trump, claiming they no longer reflect the ideals for which France originally gifted the statue in 1886.
At a gathering of his Place Publique movement, Glucksmann launched an aggressive critique of America’s current administration, particularly targeting President Trump’s foreign policy, scientific freedom stances, and budget decisions.
“We’re going to say to the Americans who have chosen to side with tyrants, to the Americans who fired researchers for demonstrating scientific freedom, ‘Give us back the Statue of Liberty. We gave it to you as a gift, but apparently you despise it. So it will be just fine here at home,’” Glucksmann told supporters.
Glucksmann continued his remarks, inviting American researchers who advocate for scientific freedom to find sanctuary in France, should they be dismissed from their positions in the U.S.
“The second thing we’re going to say to the Americans is ‘if you want to fire your best researchers, if you want to fire all the people who, through their freedom and their sense of innovation, their taste for doubt and research, have made your country the world’s leading power, then we’re going to welcome them,’” he added.
He also criticized French right-wing parliamentarians who support figures like Trump and Elon Musk, dismissing them as merely a “fan club.”
FRENCH MEP: GIVE US BACK THE STATUE OF LIBERTY
The US no longer represents the values for which France gave the statue to the US, said Raphaël Glucksmann, a French member of the European Parliament.
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt)
March 16, 2025
The Statue of Liberty, a creation of French sculptor Auguste Bartholdi, was a gift from France to the United States in 1886. It was intended to celebrate the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence and to symbolize the unbreakable friendship between the two nations. Today, its symbolism remains powerful, despite the political disagreements that have surfaced.
