"I wanted to say 'Epstein', sorry, it sounds more Russian, 'Epsteen,' So now you'll say Epsteen instead of Epstein, Franckensteen instead of Frankenstein. Melenchon made these comments at a gathering in Lyon, drawing laughter from the audience before facing widespread accusations of antisemitism from across the political spectrum."
"Jean-Luc Melenchon has crossed all boundaries. Gabriel Attal, head of Macron's Renaissance party and former prime minister, made this statement in response to Melenchon's remarks, reflecting the severity of political reaction to the controversial comments about Epstein's name pronunciation."
"Antisemitism in France can be spelled out in three letters: L-F-I. Equality Minister Aurore Berge wrote this on X, directly linking Melenchon's France Unbowed party to antisemitism, representing the strongest condemnation from government officials regarding the incident."
Jean-Luc Melenchon, founder of France Unbowed (LFI) and a three-time presidential candidate, sparked antisemitism accusations by mocking the pronunciation of Jeffrey Epstein's name during a rally in Lyon. He suggested pronouncing it 'Epsteen' instead of 'Epstein,' drawing parallels to 'Franckensteen' instead of 'Frankenstein.' Melenchon dismissed the comments as ironic, but faced widespread condemnation across the political spectrum. President Macron, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, and various political figures criticized the remarks as antisemitic. The controversy emerged amid pressure over an activist's death and ahead of upcoming municipal elections and the 2027 presidential race, with observers predicting the far-right may benefit from the incident.
#antisemitism #french-politics #jean-luc-melenchon #political-controversy #2027-presidential-election
Read at The Local France
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