Islam Times – France has barred US Ambassador Charles Kushner from direct contact with senior government officials after he failed to appear at the Foreign Ministry following a summons over comments regarding the death of right-wing activist Quentin Deranque.French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot had called Kushner to the Quai d’Orsay after Washington warned of rising “violent radical leftism” in France. Kushner reportedly cited personal commitments and sent an embassy official in his place. The Foreign Ministry described the no-show as a breach of protocol and announced that Kushner would be denied direct government access, limiting his communication to lower-level technical channels. The restriction could be lifted if the ambassador complies with the ministry’s request to appear in person.
Deranque, a 23-year-old student and member of the nationalist group Audace Lyon, died on February 14 from head injuries sustained in a clash with alleged left-wing activists. His death heightened political tensions ahead of upcoming local and presidential elections, with polls indicating potential gains for the right-wing National Rally.
The US State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism stated on X that Deranque’s death “should concern us all,” warning of rising radical left violence. Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers described the incident as an example of why political violence must be treated harshly. France viewed these comments as interference, with Barrot saying, “We reject any instrumentalization of this tragedy… We have no lessons to learn, particularly on the issue of violence, from the international reactionary movement.”
This is not Kushner’s first diplomatic misstep in France. In August, he angered officials by sending a letter to President Emmanuel Macron accusing France of insufficient action against anti-Semitism and failed to attend a subsequent official summons, though no measures were taken at that time.