Mélenchon Faces Cross-Party Backlash Over “Epstein” Pronunciation Quip

Overview

• At a Lyon rally on February 26, Jean‑Luc Mélenchon joked about saying “Epstine” because it “sounds more Russian,” riffing that people should also say “Ensteen” for Einstein and “Frankensteen” for Frankenstein.
• President Emmanuel Macron resurfaced a recent speech warning about far‑left antisemitism, while Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez called the remark “abject” and figures across the spectrum, including Aurore Bergé, Marine Tondelier, Laurence Rossignol, Jordan Bardella and Dominique de Villepin, issued sharp condemnations.
• Mélenchon defended the line as ironic, decried a “consternating reaction,” and claimed critics were trying to silence LFI, saying the outcry incites hostility toward his movement.
• Coverage noted the linguistic fact that Jeffrey Epstein himself used the American pronunciation “Epstine,” a point echoed by a sociolinguist and by Radio France guidance, though the political interpretation of the quip drove the uproar.
• The controversy revives scrutiny of LFI’s record on antisemitism since 2023 and unfolds in a tense climate after the death of Quentin Deranque, while even left‑wing voices such as Alexis Corbière said the comments created “trouble”; no legal action has been reported.