Former French Culture Minister Jack Lang has succumbed to mounting pressure following the revelation of his connections to Jeffrey Epstein, convicted of sex crimes, and proposed his resignation from the presidency of the Arab World Institute in Paris. The move was accepted by Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, who announced the start of a search for a successor.
The revelation of Lang’s (86) initiative to resign came hours after a statement in which he defended his “honor,” asserting that the accusations against him were “unfounded.” This followed his summons to the Foreign Ministry and the opening of a financial public prosecutor’s investigation into him and his daughter regarding his links to the late American businessman.
For his part, his lawyer stated on Saturday that Lang was “deeply saddened to leave an institution he loves very much,” but at the same time would “fight” to clear his name.
In a letter to Barrot seen on Saturday, Lang said: “I propose to submit my resignation during the next emergency meeting of the Institute’s Board of Directors,” after nearly 13 years spent heading the prestigious institution.
New President for the Arab World Institute
In response, Barrot told journalists upon his return to Paris after a tour of the Middle East that he had “taken note” of this, adding: “I will launch a process to select a successor to head the Arab World Institute, and within a period of seven days I will call a session of the Board of Directors, which will appoint an acting president for the Institute.”
For his part, Lang said earlier in a statement that he was preparing “calmly and even with serenity” for the investigation announced by the public prosecutor on Friday, adding that this investigation “will allow the full truth to be revealed regarding accusations that tarnish my integrity and honor,” stressing that “the accusations against me are unfounded.”
On Friday, Barrot confirmed that Lang had been “summoned and will be received on Sunday at the Foreign Ministry,” the main funder of the Arab World Institute.
He stressed that “the priority is of course to ensure the proper functioning, continuity, and integrity of the Arab World Institute,” noting that “the initial elements drawn from these files are unprecedented and extremely serious,” and adding: “I reserve all options regarding the continuation of his mandate.”
The ministry supports the Institute annually with €12.3 million, representing half of its budget. Lang served as Minister of Culture (1981-1986 and 1988-1993) in two governments during the tenure of the late Socialist President François Mitterrand.
Lang’s name appears 673 times in Epstein documents
Calls for the dismissal of the former minister, known for launching the “Fête de la Musique” which spread worldwide, increased after revealing connections between him and Epstein when the US Department of Justice published, on January 30, millions of documents related to the man convicted of sex crimes, particularly against underage girls.
No charges have been brought against Lang, but his name appearing 673 times in the disclosed documents, and his connection to Epstein’s interests, have tarnished his reputation and that of his daughter Caroline.
His lawyer considered it “normal for the supervisory authority to request clarifications from a person against whom accusations have been made, and not be satisfied with what it can read on social media and in the press. The goal is to know his position,” denying that the Epstein documents prove the existence of a “close friendship between them.”
On Wednesday, Lang ruled out resignation, citing his “naivety” to justify his past relations with Epstein, who was found hanged in his New York cell in 2019 while awaiting trial.
After stating on Monday that he fully acknowledged his past “relations” with him, he confirmed on Wednesday that he was unaware of Epstein’s criminal past when he met him “about 15 years ago” through American director Woody Allen.
Close relations between Lang and the American billionaire
The documents published in the United States included correspondence clarifying the relationship between the two men. Businessman Étienne Pinault, one of the patrons of the Arab World Institute, wrote to Epstein in 2017 that Jack Lang had “personally insisted that you attend his birthday party. This is reserved for the intimate circle only; he does not issue such invitations lightly.”
According to the documents, Lang himself wrote in 2017, “Dear Jeffrey… your generosity knows no bounds
