Anne-Claire Legendre Appointed as First Female Head of the Institut du Monde Arabe

Anne-Claire Legendre, a career diplomat and specialist in the Maghreb and the Middle East, has been unanimously appointed as the new head of the Institut du monde arabe (IMA) in Paris, succeeding Jack Lang, who resigned due to connections with Jeffrey Epstein. Legendre, who has served as an adviser to President Emmanuel Macron on North Africa and the Middle East, is the first woman to lead the IMA. In her new role, she aims to restore public trust and bring serenity to the institution. With a background as a former ambassador to Kuwait and consul general in New York, she is fluent in Arabic and is noted for her diplomatic skills. The new presidency is expected to undertake ambitious structural reforms, modernize governance, and enhance the IMA’s cultural diplomacy. This includes a financial audit and proposed changes to regulations regarding leadership age, term limits, and conflict of interest prevention. The changes aim to secure a sustainable financial trajectory for the IMA and to reaffirm its role in fostering dialogue with contemporary Arab societies.

SOURCE: LE PARISIEN