French Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Raphaël Glucksmann has urged the United States to return the Statue of Liberty, contending that President Donald Trump’s policy shift contradicts the fundamental values the monument represents.
The Statue of Liberty, designed by renowned French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and constructed by Gustave Eiffel, was gifted to the United States in 1886 to commemorate the centennial of American independence.
Standing in New York Harbour, it has since symbolised freedom and served as a beacon for immigrants in pursuit of a better life.
Glucksmann, a centre-left MEP and outspoken supporter of Ukraine, voiced his disapproval of Trump’s policies, particularly his push to mediate peace between Moscow and Kyiv.
Speaking at a convention of his Place Publique party on Sunday, he accused the US of “siding with tyrants.”
“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 declared to a cheering audience. “We gave it to you as a gift, but you despise it. So it will be just fine here at home.”
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Since assuming office as the 47th US president, Trump has undertaken sweeping reforms, prioritising the restructuring of federal agencies to curb state expenditure.
His administration has intensified crackdowns on illegal immigration, cut foreign aid that does not align with his “America First” doctrine, and revoked federal grants for climate research and gender studies.
Glucksmann further criticised the dismissal of researchers under Trump’s administration, asserting that Europe would welcome those who have been sidelined.
“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, their sense of innovation, and their taste for doubt and research, have made your country the world’s leading power, then we’re going to welcome them,” he said.
The French MEP has also censured European Union leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron—one of Kyiv’s strongest supporters—for what he perceives as insufficient assistance to Ukraine.
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