French Parliament Member Demands Statue of Liberty Back: 'Apparently You Despise It'

French Parliament member Raphaël Glucksmann has stirred the pot by demanding that the United States return the Statue of Liberty to France. Yes, the same iconic statue that has stood tall in New York Harbor since the 1880s.

Speaking at a convention for his political party, Place Publique, the center-left politician accused the U.S. of betraying the ideals the statue represents. "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, according to French newspaper Le Monde.

He wasn't holding back. "We gave it to you as a gift, but apparently you despise it. So, it will be just fine here at home," he added, making it clear he believes Lady Liberty deserves a change of scenery.

To jog your memory, France gifted the Statue of Liberty to the U.S. on July 4, 1884, in celebration of the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence. It was designed by French sculptor Auguste Bartholdi and unveiled in New York City on October 28, 1886, by then-President Grover Cleveland. The statue, weighing a whopping 450,000 pounds and standing at an impressive 305 feet tall, is a global symbol of freedom.

Interestingly, a smaller replica of the Statue of Liberty resides on Allée des Cygnes, a quaint island on the Seine River in Paris. This replica was actually a gift from the U.S. to France in 1889 to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution. A little statue diplomacy, if you will.

Glucksmann, who has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine in its war against Russia, didn’t stop at Lady Liberty. He criticized former President Donald Trump for scaling back support for Ukraine and cutting federal funding to U.S. colleges and research institutions. These moves, he argued, undermine the innovation and freedom that have made America a global powerhouse.

"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 said, extending an open invitation to disillusioned American academics.

He also took aim at right-wing French Parliament members, accusing them of being a "fan club" for Trump and Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and senior advisor to Trump. The critique might be blunt, but it’s not far from Glucksmann’s usual style.

While the Statue of Liberty isn’t packing her bags just yet, Glucksmann’s comments certainly add a dramatic twist to the ongoing debates about transatlantic values and leadership. Freedom, it seems, is up for discussion—and maybe even relocation.