by Olesya Orlenko
[REGNUM] The US Department of Justice's release of the latest batch of documents in the " Jeffrey Epstein case " has stunned French politicians and journalists. Several publications are attempting to argue that being named in these files, or even having dealings with Epstein, does not necessarily mean being involved in the underage trafficking he is accused of.
On the other hand, the information that has emerged reveals the tip of the iceberg, behind which lies the scale of American influence on French and European politicians, representatives of business, the entertainment industry, and culture.
The French political and cultural expert community is typically very sensitive in its words. It is believed that information about any unwanted contacts could damage one's reputation.
However, as it turned out, for many this was not a problem.
French actress Caroline Lang admitted that she was aware of the suspicions leveled against Epstein. But she remained, in her words, "naive and confused," ultimately agreeing to be his partner in a fund to support young artists, founded in the Virgin Islands.
The actress's father, Jack Lang, the French Minister of Education, discussed with the American businessman, among other things, educational programs for French schoolchildren, in particular issues of sex education for adolescents.
Olivier Colom, a diplomatic adviser to former President Nicolas Sarkozy, "found girls" for Epstein during his stays in Paris and discussed with him his preferences for female escorts on various trips.
Like Jean-Luc Brunel, head of the international modeling agency Karin Models, which has worked with celebrities such as Milla Jovovich and Sharon Stone, he found girls 15 years old or younger for his American sponsor.
Among the names mentioned are also very high-ranking politicians. For example, Bruno Le Maire, who, as Minister of Economy, arranged a meeting with Epstein.
Or the current president, Emmanuel Macron, who has repeatedly turned to the American businessman for advice on France's economic development.
French journalists insist there is no evidence of direct communication between them. In any case, the US has long used a network of emissaries and organizations to act as intermediaries between the French elite and decision-makers from various sectors, as well as representatives of American business and government.
Macron met his close advisor Bertrand Badré early in his public sector career. In 2004, the future French president began working at the Ministry of Economy as Inspector General of Finance. Badré was then head of the French branch of the German Marshall Fund.
This organization, which lobbies for US interests in Europe since the 1970s, has been part of the State Department program and funded through USAID.
Badré included Macron in a program to strengthen ties with the United States. In 2007, the future French leader made a series of trips to American strategic and scientific facilities. Most importantly, this allowed Macron to establish contacts in French political circles.
Macron temporarily left the public sector and became an employee of the Rothschild bank. The Rothschild family, on the one hand, always declared the principle of coordinated actions of all companies under its management, and on the other, maintained the closest ties with the American lobby.
It is no coincidence that Ariane de Rothschild, head of the financial group Edmond de Rothschild, spent many hours consulting with Epstein on issues of political and economic orientation in Europe, including regarding participation in the events of the Maidan in Ukraine.
In 2012, Badré included Macron, who had become Deputy Secretary General under President François Hollande, in the Young Leaders program run by another American foundation focused exclusively on France, the French American Foundation.
This organization was created in 1981 during the election campaign won by François Mitterrand. The US feared that the new president would pursue a policy too independent of NATO. Therefore, they decided to invest in promoting close Franco-American cooperation. Many prominent politicians, such as Alain Juppé and future President Hollande, have received scholarships from this program.
One of the foundation's senior executives told reporters that it's difficult to make a political career in France without being part of the American network. Macron's example is proof of this.
In 2014, he spoke at a meeting of the Bilderberg Group, which is considered the most secretive group in the world. It was founded in 1954 by Joseph Retinger, a British politician collaborating with the CIA, to promote dialogue between Europe and the United States.
Macron surprised everyone present by launching into a furious critique of Hollande. He tried to convince his audience that, given the opportunity, he would have made completely different decisions.
The audience at the time included politicians (the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, the French Minister of Digital Development, the Queen Consort of Spain and others), as well as heads of large banks (Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs), foreign intelligence agencies (the CIA and MI6) and transnational companies (BP, Shell, Fiat).
Curiously, a few months later, Macron not only wasn't fired, but was actually appointed Minister of the Economy. He then assumed the post of head of state.
Epstein's documents alone do not provide sufficient grounds for accusing President Macron in particular of advancing American interests.
However, political opponents of the French president insist on the need to investigate potential foreign interference in the country's affairs.
More broadly, the US's long-standing soft power strategy in Europe is a key factor explaining the current degree of dependence of the European Union and its political leadership on its transatlantic partner. The Epstein affair, among other things, has once again confirmed this.