France’s foreign minister on Tuesday demanded an explanation after US envoy Charles Kushner failed to show up to respond to comments about a slain far-right activist but said ties between France and the United States would not be affected.
Barrot summoned Kushner after the US embassy in Paris reposted comments by the administration of Donald Trump which denounced “terrorism” and left-wing violence in France after the killing of far-right activist Quentin Deranque, 23.
The new diplomatic row broke out after Kushner, whose son Jared is married to Trump’s daughter Ivanka, already criticised France for what he said was its insufficient action against antisemitism.
He was summoned to the French ministry last year but skipped that meeting as well, sending an official instead.
On Monday, France moved to block Kushner from having access to government ministers.
Deranque died from head injuries following clashes between radical-left and far-right supporters on the sidelines of a protest against a politician from the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party in Lyon.
– ‘Surprise’ –
Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said he wanted an explanation over the US ambassador’s failure to respect “the most basic customs of diplomacy”.
“It’s a surprise,” Barrot told broadcaster France Info.
Kushner, 71, a multimillionaire real estate developer and former attorney, is not a professional diplomat.
He spent time in prison after pleading guilty in 2004 to 18 counts of tax evasion, witness tampering and illegal campaign contributions — though Trump pardoned him in 2020.
Barrot stressed the need “to have a conversation with him”.
“I believe all French people share the same feeling,” he said. “We do not accept that foreign countries can come and interfere in, then insert themselves into, our national political debate, whatever the circumstances.”
He added that Paris also wished to raise the issue of US sanctions against several European figures, including former European Commissioner Thierry Breton.
However Barrot said the new incident would not affect the Franco-US relationship.
“It has weathered other storms, but this will naturally affect his ability to carry out his mission in our country,” he said.
Asked whether the US ambassador might be declared persona non grata, Barrot did not answer directly.
Yael Braun-Pivet, president of the National Assembly lower house, said it was important to keep talking.
“We need to talk to each other and say what we think, but at the same time we mustn’t let ourselves be pushed around,” she told RLT broadcaster.
A diplomatic source told AFP the ambassador cited “personal commitments” and sent a senior embassy official instead.
– ‘Not optional’ –
Kushner’s behaviour raised eyebrows even among US diplomats.
“One of the basic rules is that when you are summoned by the host country’s foreign minister, you show up. On time,” Charles Shapiro, a former US ambassador to Venezuela, said on X. “It’s not optional.”
In December 2024, Trump defended the choice of Kushner as France’s envoy.
“It’s a great thing because he’s in our family,” Trump told the French magazine Paris Match.
“Essentially a family member of mine is coming to France, I am not sure it’s happening anywhere else.”
The choice was in keeping with Trump’s pattern of selecting people, often wealthy, who are close to his family or have proven their loyalty.
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