The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has chosen Anne-Claire Lugandre, diplomatic advisor to President Emmanuel Macron, to head the Arab World Institute in Paris. This comes after Jack Lang resigned from his position due to his name appearing in files related to the case of the American businessman convicted of sex crimes, Jeffrey Epstein. Anne-Claire Lugandre is considered one of the prominent diplomatic figures in the contemporary French scene, with experience extending from the consular field to the corridors of the UN Security Council, all the way to the heart of decision-making in the Elysee Palace.
Published on: 02/17/2026 - 10:36 Last updated: 02/17/2026 - 15:40
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The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs chose Anne-Claire Lugandre, the presidential advisor for North Africa and the Middle East in the diplomatic cell at the Presidential Palace, to head the Arab World Institute in Paris, according to what the institution’s management announced, after Jack Lang resigned following his name appearing in Jeffrey Epstein’s files.
On Monday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot met with three selected candidates.
Informed sources revealed that the candidates were chosen “from among several automatic nominations” to run the ancient institution, including Anne-Claire Loganre and Karim Amalal, the former ambassador for Mediterranean affairs.
The third candidate was Olivier Poivre Darfur, the ambassador in charge of the Arctic regions and maritime affairs.
From the Consular Square to the Elysee
Anne-Claire Lugandre is one of the prominent diplomatic figures in the contemporary French scene, with experience extending from the consular field to the corridors of the UN Security Council, all the way to the heart of decision-making in the Elysee Palace.
Born in 1979, Anne-Claire Lugandre is a French diplomat who has been the French President's advisor for North Africa and the Middle East within the diplomatic cell at the Elysee since December 2023, before her recent appointment to head the Arab World Institute.
Rich academic path
During her diplomatic position, she was responsible for following up on complex regional files, in a region that is considered one of the most intertwined regions in the world on the political and security levels.
Logande graduated from the Institute of Political Studies in Paris (Sciences Po), and continued her studies in Arabic at the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations (INALCO), before completing her academic studies in modern literature at the New Sorbonne University. This interdisciplinary academic track, combining political science, language and culture, formed a solid base for her early interest in issues of the Arab world.
Field experience
She began her career at the French Embassy in Yemen, where she experienced up close the complexities and transformations of the region. She then joined the Department of French Affairs Abroad at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, before being appointed to the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations in New York. There, she was assigned sensitive files related to the Middle East within the Security Council, which allowed her to have direct contact with the mechanisms of multilateral diplomacy and the international balance of power.
She later held various positions within the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, as well as at the French Consulate in New York, before being appointed spokeswoman for the ministry, a position that placed her at the media forefront of French foreign policy, and made her an official voice for Paris in times of successive international crises.
In another prominent stage of her career, she served as French Ambassador to Kuwait, where she strengthened France’s presence in the Gulf region and consolidated her experience in regional security, energy and bilateral relations.
Today, at the age of forty-seven, Anne-Claire Logande combines field experience, deep knowledge of the Arab world, and familiarity with the mechanisms of multilateral action, thanks to which she has once again gained the confidence of decision-makers in Paris and assumed the leadership of one of the most important cultural institutions in France.
Read also: The Epstein case: The headquarters of the Arab World Institute in Paris was raided as part of the investigation targeting Jack Lang
These developments come after an investigation was opened in France on February 6th against the backdrop of suspicions of “covering up tax fraud under aggravating circumstances” targeting Jack Lang, the former Socialist Minister, and his daughter Caroline.
No charges have yet been brought against Lang, 86, who stepped down from his position under pressure on February 7.
His name was mentioned in documents circulated by the US Department of Justice 673 times in the context of correspondence with the sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein. The exchanges revealed relationships based on interests between them.
France 24/ Agencies
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