French Lawmaker Demands US Return Statue of Liberty
Source: Newsweek
Published Mar 16, 2025 at 7:36 PM EDT | Updated Mar 16, 2025 at 8:36 PM EDT
Raphael Glucksmann, a member of the center-left Place Publique party in France, demanded on Sunday that the United States return the Statue of Liberty, accusing it of siding with "tyrants." Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment by email on Sunday evening.
The Context
Europe has negatively responded to President Donald Trump's approach to Ukraine and Russia amid their ongoing war, with many accusing Trump of siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin against Ukraine in ceasefire negotiations. Initial talks excluded Ukraine, with Trump insisting that Kyiv had "no cards" to play in negotiations. Matters came to a head when Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had an explosive argument in front of reporters during an Oval Office press gaggle on February 28, which resulted in the U.S. temporarily withdrawing military aid and intelligence from Ukraine. Russia has long been viewed by Republicans and Democrats as an adversary of the U.S. whereas Ukraine is an ally. U.S. allies in Europe have also raised alarms over Trump's stance toward Ukraine and Russia.
What To Know
Glucksmann, a staunch defender of Ukraine, spoke at a party convention and took time to scold the U.S. for what he viewed as a shifting position on values. "Give us back the Statue of Liberty," he said, according to the Agence France-Presse (AFP). "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.'" He added: "We gave it to you as a gift, but apparently you despise it. So, it will be just fine here at home."
France presented the U.S. with the Statue of Liberty in 1884 as a gift to commemorate the alliance between the two countries. The statue was disassembled and shipped aboard the French Navy vessel Isère and it arrived in 1885 where it was "met with great fanfare," according to the National Parks Service. The entire structure was finished in 1886. The statue, which is in New York, has since become an icon of freedom and of the United States.
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A descendant of Sephardic Jews who immigrated to the United States from Portugal around the time of the American Revolution, Emma Lazarus was a Jewish American poet and translator. Her sonnet, “The New Colossus,” is inscribed on a plaque on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty monument.
