Member of French Parliament Comments On US Policy
A French lawmaker is making headlines with an audacious demand: the return of the Statue of Liberty. Raphaël Glucksmann, a member of the European Parliament and a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, claims that America no longer embodies the values the statue represents and that it should be reclaimed by France.
“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 at a recent convention of his political party, Place Publique. His remarks, reported by Le Monde, were met with cheers from the audience.
Glucksmann’s frustration stems from America’s shifting stance on global issues, particularly its approach to the war in Ukraine. He has been a strong advocate for continued Western support of Ukraine and has openly criticized Trump’s efforts to scale back U.S. involvement in the conflict.
His grievances also extend to Trump’s push to cut funding for colleges and research institutions, which he sees as an attack on academic freedom and scientific progress.
“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,” Glucksmann added.
His comments reflect a broader concern among some European leaders who view the Trump administration’s policies as a departure from the values historically associated with American leadership.
The Statue of Liberty, designed by French sculptor Auguste Bartholdi, was a gift from France to the United States in 1886, commemorating the Franco-American alliance and shared ideals of freedom and democracy. Standing 305 feet tall and weighing approximately 450,000 pounds, it has since become one of the most recognized symbols of American identity.
While the idea of repatriating Lady Liberty is purely symbolic—after all, relocating a monument of that scale is logistically impossible—Glucksmann’s remarks highlight a growing divide between traditional allies.
Interestingly, there is already a smaller Statue of Liberty in France. A quarter-scale replica, gifted by the U.S. in 1889 to commemorate the French Revolution’s centennial, sits on Allée des Cygnes, an island in the Seine River near the Eiffel Tower. But according to Glucksmann, one is not enough—France should reclaim the original.