France has announced plans to summon the United States ambassador following remarks by American officials concerning the death of a French far-right activist — a case that has intensified diplomatic tensions between Paris and Washington.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said he would call in U.S. Ambassador to France Charles Kushner to formally address what he described as political exploitation of a national tragedy.
“We refuse all political opportunism around this drama, which is the bereavement of a French family,” Barrot said in interviews with France Info, France Inter and Le Monde.
Beyond the immediate controversy, Barrot indicated he would also raise concerns over U.S. sanctions imposed on former European Commissioner Thierry Breton and French judge at the International Criminal Court Nicolas Guillou.
He described the measures as direct challenges to the autonomy of European Union decision-making and the independence of the international justice system.
According to La Tribune, French President Emmanuel Macron has written to U.S. President Donald Trump requesting that the sanctions against Breton and Guillou be lifted.
The diplomatic dispute follows the death of far-right activist Quentin Deranque, who was fatally beaten during a confrontation with individuals reportedly linked to hard-left groups.
The incident has deeply shaken France and has been described by some commentators as “France’s Charlie Kirk moment,” referencing the high-profile shooting of U.S. conservative activist Charlie Kirk last year.
In response, the U.S. Embassy in France and the United States Department of State Bureau of Counterterrorism said they were closely monitoring developments, warning on social media platform X that “violent radical leftism was on the rise” and should be treated as a public safety threat.
As investigations continue, the episode underscores the fragile state of transatlantic relations, with both governments navigating the sensitive intersection of domestic security, political rhetoric, and diplomatic protocol.
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