The resignation of Jack Lang from the presidency of the Institut du Monde Arabe (IMA) in February 2026 is not merely a judicial event; it is being analyzed as the fall of a political « monument » and the end of a French cultural model.
The Trigger: The Shockwave of the Epstein Affair
The starting point is purely judicial. The « Epstein Files » (3 million documents) revealed a close proximity between Jack Lang, his daughter Caroline, and the billionaire child sex offender.
Despite his denials, the frequency of contacts and the requests for favors (chauffeured cars) made his position untenable.
The opening of an investigation by the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) for tax fraud laundering (an offshore company in the Virgin Islands and a €5 million testamentary donation) delivered the final blow.
The End of an « Ancien Régime » Style of Power
Le Figaro agrees on the anachronistic character of Jack Lang. He represented a political class that believed itself untouchable:
– Between gifted luxury suits (Smalto) and unpaid stays in palace hotels, Lang embodied a practice of power where the boundary between public and private interests had become blurred.
– His departure is not solely due to the judiciary, but to a wholesale abandonment. The government (the Quai d’Orsay) and his own political family (the Socialist Party) demanded his resignation to protect the image of institutions.
A Cultural Legacy on Trial
Beyond the man, it is his legacy, « cultural leftism, » that is being called into question:
– The Mitterrand Golden Age: He is credited with being the builder of modern France (Grand Louvre, Fête de la Musique), doubling the culture budget and placing art at the heart of the state.
– Historical Criticism (Pierre Vermeren): For his detractors, this model has failed. By favoring « by-products of globalization » and neglecting classical heritage and educational standards, Lang allegedly contributed to a certain cultural « downgrading » of France.
The fall of Jack Lang symbolizes the collision between two worlds: that of « spectacle culture » and the worldly connections of the 80s, and that of the 2020s, marked by a demand for total transparency and a questioning of late 20th-century ideologies.
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