Why Does France Want the Statue of Liberty Back—138 Years After Gifting It to the US?

For over a century, the Statue of Liberty has stood proudly in New York Harbour, symbolising freedom and the lasting friendship between France and the United States. However, an intriguing question has emerged: could France ever seek the return of its iconic gift, even after 138 years?

Surprisingly, that very idea is now being proposed, as a French politician suggests that the United States should return New York City's famed Statue of Liberty, originally gifted by France more than a century ago.

The Call To Return: A Political Stir

UNESCO's World Heritage Convention states that the sculpture, a gift to the US for the centennial of its independence, has long characterised the New York City horizon and stood as a sign of global liberty.

During a gathering for the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Raphael Glucksmann, a European Parliament member, told his associates that America should send back the present because the nation no longer represents or safeguards democratic ideals and liberty.

'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,' he said, according to a report by The Guardian.

'We gave it to you as a gift, but apparently, you despise it. So it will be just fine here at home,' Raphael added.

'Absolutely Not,' Says White House

During a White House news conference on Monday, when questioned about whether the US administration would give back the monument, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the French politician's remarks, stating that the US will 'absolutely not' be sending it back.

'My advice to that unnamed low-level French politician would be to remind them that it's only because of the United States of America that the French are not speaking German right now. So they should be very grateful to our great country,' she told reporters.

Could France Ever Reclaim Lady Liberty?

UNESCO, the United Nations' cultural organisation that includes the statue among its World Heritage gems, points out that the famous monument belongs to the US government. As stated in a blog post on the Liberty Cruise website, the Statue of Liberty was presented as a gesture of goodwill to remember the bond between Americans and the French during the American Revolution.

At a time when the French population held differing views on democracy and backing the monarchy, political theorist Édouard de Laboulaye believed this act would encourage French progressives who desired democracy to succeed.

The initial concept envisioned a grand display of French-American camaraderie to celebrate the centennial of the 4 July 1776 Declaration of Independence. However, a conflict that broke out in 1870 between France and German territories led by Prussia shifted the focus of the monument's creator, French artist Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi.

Securing funds for the present also required time. An agreement was established that the French would finance the sculpture while Americans would handle the expenses of its base. Shipped in 350 parts from France, the statue was formally revealed on 28 October 1886.

If the Statue of Liberty's value were determined solely by the price of its materials, it would amount to £175452.03 ($227,610) as recyclable metal, according to Liberty Cruise.

Is Paris Extending Sanctuary To Lady Liberty?

Not at all. According to a report by the Associated Press, French-U.S. ties would need to severely deteriorate before Glucksmann gained backing from French President Emmanuel Macron's administration.

Currently, the French president is carefully balancing his approach—attempting to collaborate with Trump and moderate certain policy changes while also strongly opposing some White House choices, particularly Trump's tariff increases.

Macron has allowed his prime minister, François Bayrou, to become a more dissenting figure. Bayrou condemned the 'brutality' displayed towards Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his White House visit and implied that Trump's administration risked handing victory to Russia by halting military assistance to Ukraine.

Glucksmann's political group has expressed even more substantial criticism, publishing accusations on its website that Trump is exercising authority in an 'authoritarian' fashion and is 'preparing to deliver Ukraine on a silver platter' to Russia.

During his address, Glucksmann mentioned New York poet Emma Lazarus's verses concerning the statue, the 'mighty woman with a torch' who offered refuge to the 'huddled masses yearning to breathe free.' Glucksmann said, 'Today, this land is ceasing to be what it was.'

French Politician Extends Job Offer To Displaced US Officials

Glucksmann, a center-left politician from the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, referenced Trump's extensive job cuts in his comments, even though much of Europe has also been impacted by Trump's other contentious actions, such as tariffs and the Ukraine-Russia discussions.

Trump's tariff directives have ignited the onset of a trade conflict with the European Union, which declared on Wednesday its intention to retaliate against Trump's steel and aluminium tariffs by imposing counter-tariffs on £21.58 billion ($28 billion) worth of US goods the following month.

Following a heated encounter between Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which cast doubt on the US's previously unwavering support, numerous European leaders quickly voiced their public backing of Ukraine against Russia.

However, it was the Trump administration's downsizing of the federal workforce, resulting in over 100,000 job losses and decreased funding for various departments, that prompted the French politician's reaction:

'The second thing we're going to say to the Americans is: '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.

On 13 March, federal judges mandated that the Trump administration rehire tens of thousands of employees, despite Leavitt's declaration that the administration intends to oppose the ruling.