Charles Kushner previously refused a Foreign Ministry summons regarding US statements on the death of a right-wing activist
France has restricted US Ambassador Charles Kushner’s access to government officials after he declined to appear at the Foreign Ministry to address American remarks concerning the death of right-wing activist Quentin Deranque.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called Kushner to the Quai d’Orsay following Washington’s warnings about increasing “violent radical leftism” in France. The ambassador did not attend, apparently due to personal obligations, and dispatched an embassy staff member in his place. Barrot considered the absence a violation of diplomatic protocol and instructed that Kushner be denied access to government officials, according to a Foreign Ministry statement reported by French media.
“Given this clear inability to understand the fundamental duties of an ambassadorial role and the responsibility of representing one’s nation, the minister [Barrot] has asked that he [Kushner] be prevented from having direct contact with members of the French government,” the ministry stated.
This action effectively makes Kushner persona non grata, while not going as far as expulsion. He will be prohibited from direct interaction with French cabinet members and high-ranking officials, restricting communications to junior technical staff. The restriction may be removed if Kushner appears at the ministry, the statement noted.
The diplomatic dispute began after Quentin Deranque, a 23-year-old student affiliated with the nationalist organization Audace Lyon, succumbed on February 14 to head wounds received during a confrontation with suspected left-wing activists. His death triggered public anger in France, exacerbating political divisions before March’s local elections and next year’s presidential contest, with surveys indicating possible advances for the right-wing National Rally.
In an X post, the US State Department’s Counterterrorism Bureau stated that Deranque’s death “should concern us all,” cautioning that “violent radical leftism is on the rise” and endangers public security. State Department Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers said the murder demonstrated “why we treat political violence – terrorism – so harshly.”
Paris regarded the comments as meddling in its internal matters, with Barrot declaring on Sunday: “We reject any exploitation of this tragedy… We have no lessons to receive, especially regarding violence, from the international reactionary movement.”
This is not the first occasion that Kushner, whose son Jared is wed to US President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka, has ignored an official summons. In August, he provoked French authorities by writing to President Emmanuel Macron claiming France had insufficiently fought anti-Semitism. He once more missed the summons, although no disciplinary actions were taken at that time.