All posts tagged: Lang

Diplomat Anne-Claire Legendre succeeds Jack Lang at Arab World Institute

Diplomat Anne-Claire Legendre succeeds Jack Lang at Arab World Institute

Published by Sam Flores

The president of the Republic’s adviser for North Africa and the Middle East, Anne-Claire Legendre, at the Elysée in Paris, February 4, 2026. JULIEN MUGUET For the first time in its history, the presidency of the Arab World Institute (IMA) in Paris is expected to go to a woman, after 40 years of exclusively male leadership. Anne-Claire Legendre, President Emmanuel Macron’s adviser for North Africa and the Middle East, was chosen on Tuesday, February 17, in the morning, by the board of directors, following the abrupt departure of Jack Lang earlier in the month due to his long-standing relationship and alleged financial ties with the American sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein, before Epstein’s death in detention in 2019. Legendre, 46, is a career diplomat who has been a member of the Elysée’s diplomatic team since December 2023, after serving as spokesperson for the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs for just over two years. She was France’s consul general in New York from 2016 to 2020 also briefly headed the embassy in Kuwait. At Macron’s side, …

French police raid Paris’s Arab World Institute in Epstein-linked probe into Jack Lang

French police raid Paris’s Arab World Institute in Epstein-linked probe into Jack Lang

Published by Sam Flores

French police conducted raids at various locations, including the Arab World Institute (IMA) in Paris, on Monday as part of the investigation into the institution’s former head Jack Lang for his alleged financial ties to Jeffrey Epstein, Pascal Prache, head of the national financial prosecutor’s office, said in a statement.  Lang, a former French culture minister under ​socialist president François Mitterrand, resigned earlier this month from ​the organisation which he ​had led since 2013. Watch moreFormer French minister Jack Lang resigns over Epstein-linked tax fraud probe The Arab World Institute is a ​Paris-based cultural and research institution under the supervision of France’s foreign ministry that promotes understanding of the Arab world. Lang, who corresponded ⁠with Epstein from 2012 and 2019, has denied any wrongdoing, saying he was “shocked” that his name appeared in the statutes of an offshore company Epstein founded in 2016. Lang’s daughter Caroline, who allegedly owned half the shares in the company, has resigned from two positions. The raid, announced by the national financial prosecutor’s office, occurred as he said goodbye to former …

How the Epstein scandal brought down Jack Lang

How the Epstein scandal brought down Jack Lang

Published by Sam Flores

Jack Lang, then president of the Institut du Monde Arabe, at the Egyptian Parliament in Cairo, on April 18, 2016. LAURENCE GEAI FOR LE MONDE On Tuesday, February 3, Jack Lang was still very much the master of his domain. He welcomed Le Monde, seated on the couch in his glass-walled office on the eighth floor of the Institut du Monde Arabe (IMA, Arab World Institute), the Paris institution he had been leading for more than 13 years. The former culture minister under President François Mitterrand jumped in surprise when asked whether he planned to resign. “What have I done that is reprehensible? What legal action has been taken against me? This is absurd,” he said. The day before, Mediapart had revealed the “financial ties” between the Langs – he and his daughter Caroline – and the American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a businessman known for his sprawling network, who died in detention in August 2019. In the mountain of emails released on January 30 by the US Justice Department, the relationship between the Lang family …

Jack Lang Resigns from Paris Arts Institute After Epstein Controversy

Jack Lang Resigns from Paris Arts Institute After Epstein Controversy

Published by José Betancourt

Jack Lang, the former French culture minister, stepped down as president of the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris after his name surfaced in newly released Jeffrey Epstein files, according to the Guardian. Lang, who served two terms as culture minister under President François Mitterrand, resigned on Saturday amid mounting scrutiny. He had led the Institut du Monde Arabe since 2013. The immediate catalyst was a tranche of documents released by the US Department of Justice on January 30. In those files, Lang and his daughter, Caroline Lang, appear among hundreds of public figures whose names are connected in some way to Epstein’s vast web of contacts. Both have denied wrongdoing. Related Articles Their inclusion in the files does not in itself suggest any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein’s crimes. Still, the fallout in France was swift. Prosecutors announced that they had opened a preliminary investigation into Jack and Caroline Lang for alleged “aggravated tax fraud money laundering,” a move that increased political pressure. Lang was reportedly summoned to the French Foreign Ministry at …

After the Epstein revelations, Jack Lang leaves a mixed record at the Arab World Institute

After the Epstein revelations, Jack Lang leaves a mixed record at the Arab World Institute

Published by Sam Flores

Former French culture minister and president of the Arab World Institute (Institut du Monde Arabe de Paris – IMA), Jack Lang delivers a speech during an event in support of the French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal at the IMA in Paris on February 18, 2025. BEHROUZ MEHRI / AFP “When I’m somewhere, I’m there for eternity,” Jack Lang joked at the end of December, hinting that he could see himself extending his tenure at the head of the Arab World Institute (IMA) beyond the end of his fourth term, scheduled for December 2026. Embroiled in the Epstein scandal, which also affected his daughter Caroline, and despite calls for his resignation from all sides – including his own political camp – the former Socialist culture minister, pleading naivety, steadfastly refused to step down. Summoned on Sunday, February 8, by the French foreign ministry, his main supervisory authority, Lang was ultimately forced to resign under pressure. Not without wanting to defend his record. On Friday, as his fate appeared sealed, he insisted on sending us, by courier, five …

Former French minister Lang quits plum job over Epstein ties – POLITICO

Former French minister Lang quits plum job over Epstein ties – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Caroline Lang was also to inherit $5 million in Epstein’s will, according to Mediapart. Caroline Lang told the outlet that the fund was to support emerging artists and that she knew nothing of the will. “The accusations against me are inaccurate, and I will prove it, beyond the noise and fury of the media and digital courts,” Lang said in his resignation letter sent to Barrot. Contacted by POLITICO, Lang shared the resignation letter. In the latest wave of Epstein correspondence released by the U.S. Justice Department, Lang appeared in a picture with Epstein outside of the Louvre, and shared by Epstein with Steve Bannon, former chief strategist for U.S. President Donald Trump.  “Now at the pyramid,” Epstein wrote in March 2019. “With the entire govt.” Epstein and the Lang family maintained a close relationship over the years, Jack Lang and his daughter admitted last week. Jack Lang told POLITICO last week that he “never knew of Epstein’s crimes.” Jack Lang, 86, is a well known name in French politics and history after having served as …

Former French Minister Lang Resigns From Arab World Institute Over Epstein Ties

Former French Minister Lang Resigns From Arab World Institute Over Epstein Ties

Published by Sam Flores

PARIS, Feb 7 (Reuters) – Jack Lang, a former French ‌culture ​minister, has resigned as president ‌of the Arab World Institute, the French Foreign Affairs Ministry said ​on Saturday, after revelations of his past contacts with Jeffrey Epstein and the launch of a financial ‍investigation. Earlier this Saturday, the French ​Financial Prosecutor’s Office had opened an investigation into Jack Lang and his daughter Caroline on ​suspicion of ‘aggravated ⁠tax fraud laundering’. Calls for Lang to step down intensified since files released on January 30 by the U.S. Department of Justice showed Epstein and Lang corresponding intermittently between 2012 and 2019, when the financier died by suicide in jail. French media including Le Monde, Le Figaro ‌and Mediapart said the preliminary investigation had been opened after the U.S. documents revealed years ​of ‌correspondence and financial links between ‍Lang and ⁠Epstein. The office confirmed the investigation but did not provide further details. Jack Lang had been summoned to report on Sunday to the Foreign Ministry, which supervises the Arab World Institute, a cultural and research institution that …

France to investigate former culture minister Lang over Epstein links | News

France to investigate former culture minister Lang over Epstein links | News

Published by Sam Flores

Listen to this article | 4 mins info France’s foreign minister summoned ex-Culture Minister Jack Lang to a meeting on Sunday as the country’s financial crimes prosecutors opened a probe into him and his daughter Caroline after revelations in the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s files. Calls mounted for Lang to resign as head of a leading French cultural institute over his ties to the convicted paedophile. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Lang, 86, is the highest-profile French figure caught up in the latest US release of documents linked to the financier who killed himself in 2019 while in prison facing charges of sex trafficking underage girls. French media reports said Lang, who heads the Arab World Institute (IMA) in Paris, repeatedly appealed to Epstein for funds or favours, while his daughter’s name appears in the files of an offshore company co-owned with the disgraced US financier. His daughter Caroline Lang, a film producer, resigned on Monday from her role as head of the Independent Production Union. Lang, who spent nearly 20 years as …

Lang Lang opens up about performing at the Olympics opening ceremony

Lang Lang opens up about performing at the Olympics opening ceremony

Published by Sam Flores

IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Opening Ceremony kicks off Milan Cortina Olympics 02:41 One-on-one with Lindsey Vonn about her unprecedented Olympic comeback 03:24 American street photographer captures fashion of Milan 02:08 The history and statistics of which countries win the most medals in the Winter Olympics 03:19 What to expect from the opening ceremony of the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics 04:25 Now Playing Pianist Lang Lang opens up about performing at the Olympics opening ceremony 02:05 UP NEXT Team USA kicks off first competitions ahead of the opening ceremony 01:28 From curling to a power outage, Olympic competitions underway ahead of opening ceremony 04:04 Lindsey Vonn pushes toward Olympic return despite ACL injury 01:18 Watch: Lindsey Vonn says she will compete in Winter Olympics after injury 01:08 An inside look at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony rehearsals 02:14 An inside look at the historic site of the Olympics closing ceremony 02:38 Olympic organizers race to finish preparations with one month to go 01:30 Members of …

French government expects resistance from Jack Lang after summons to explain Epstein ties

French government expects resistance from Jack Lang after summons to explain Epstein ties

Published by Sam Flores

STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP/LE MONDE Amid a media firestorm and widespread public concern in France following revelations about former minister Jack Lang’s connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, who met on Thursday, February 5, asked Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot to summon the president of the Institut du Monde Arabe (IMA, Arab World Institute) to provide an “explanation.” “It is up to the government to appoint the president of the Institut du Monde Arabe, through the Foreign Ministry,” the prime minister’s office pointed out. Read more Subscribers only Epstein’s correspondence reveals links to French public figures While the government does not need to comment on the merits of the case, it expects Lang to clarify the emails implicating him among the millions of documents linked to the Epstein scandal. Lang, whose name appears 673 times, should “think about the institution,” meaning the IMA, the emblematic cultural body he had led since 2013, Elysée sources added. While currently traveling in Marrakech, Morocco, Lang is expected to appear on …