French MEP calls for Statue of Liberty's return to France: Le Monde
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The Statue of Liberty, designed by French sculptor Auguste Bartholdi, was gifted to the US in 1886 to mark the centennial of the Declaration of Independence.
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The Statue of Liberty is seen from the Staten Island Ferry, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in New York (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
Le Monde reported on Monday that French Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Raphaël Glucksmann has called for the United States to return the Statue of Liberty, arguing that the country no longer embodies the principles that originally inspired France's gift. Speaking at a convention of his Place Publique movement on Sunday, he criticized the current US administration, particularly its stance on scientific freedom and foreign policy.
"We're going to say to the Americans who have chosen to side with the tyrants, to the Americans who fired researchers for demanding scientific freedom: 'Give us back the Statue of Liberty,'" Glucksmann declared to an enthusiastic audience. "We gave it to you as a gift, but apparently you despise it. So it will be just fine here at home," he added.
The Statue of Liberty, designed by French sculptor Auguste Bartholdi, was gifted to the US in 1886 to mark the centennial of the Declaration of Independence. Today, a smaller replica of the monument stands on a small island in the Seine River in Paris.
Glucksmann, known for his firm support of Ukraine, has been vocal in opposing President Donald Trump's shift in US foreign policy. He also took aim at Trump's budget cuts to research institutions, which he argued have weakened American innovation and expertise.
"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 continued.
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Since returning to office in January, Trump's administration has made significant reductions in federal research funding, affecting projects in health and climate science. In response, the French government has launched efforts to attract affected researchers to France.
Glucksmann further criticized far-right figures in France, accusing them of being a "fan club" for Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, whom he linked to the administration's austerity measures.
