Who is Jack Lang? Former French minister resigns from Arab World Institute amid probe into Epstein links

French political veteran Jack Lang has resigned as president of the Arab World Institute (IMA) in Paris amid increasing scrutiny over his past links to disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The move came shortly after French financial prosecutors opened a preliminary investigation into Lang and his daughter, Caroline, on suspicion of “aggravated tax fraud laundering,” following the release of millions of US Department of Justice documents tied to Epstein.

What Lang said?

Lang, 86, said he welcomed the investigation “with serenity” and described the allegations as baseless. In a letter to Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, who oversees the IMA, Lang offered to step down at the next board meeting.

The IMA, a prominent cultural institution promoting dialogue between France and the Arab world, receives significant annual funding from the French state.

The controversy intensified after the “Epstein files” revealed that Lang’s name appeared more than 600 times in correspondence and documents spanning several years. French media reported that Lang and Epstein exchanged messages intermittently between 2012 and 2019, the year Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Reports also suggest Lang requested favours from Epstein, including the use of his car and private jet for family travel. Lang has said he was unaware of Epstein’s criminal past at the time of their association and insists he would have severed ties had he known.

Caroline Lang, a film producer, also stepped down as head of France’s Independent Production Union after her own connections surfaced in the document release. Both deny any wrongdoing.

Who is Jack Lang?

Born on September 2, 1939, Jack Lang is a senior figure in French politics and a long-time member of the Socialist Party.

He served as France’s Minister of Culture under President François Mitterrand from 1981 to 1986 and again from 1988 to 1993. Widely credited with reshaping France’s cultural landscape, Lang championed public access to the arts, introduced initiatives like the Fête de la Musique, and supported major architectural projects.

He also held the post of Minister of National Education during the early 1990s and again between 2000 and 2002.

Over the decades, Lang built a reputation as one of the most recognisable faces of France’s cultural and political establishment, a legacy now overshadowed by the ongoing probe into his ties to Epstein.