“Mao Zedong and I wish you happy holidays”: MEP Leïla Chaibi’s story sparks controversy

MEP Leïla Chaibi of La France Insoumise posted a photo on Instagram on Wednesday, taken in China, smiling in front of a portrait of Mao Zedong, accompanied by the message: "Mao Zedong and I wish you happy holidays!" The post has sparked criticism due to the historical record of the Chinese communist leader.

Mao Zedong, who led communist China from 1949 to 1976, remains associated with the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, political purges, labor camps, and a massive famine. Estimates of the number of deaths directly or indirectly attributed to his policies vary widely among historians, but amount to tens of millions.

A reference that raises questions

The publication by Leïla Chaibi, a Member of the European Parliament from La France insoumise, thus revives criticism of the relationship of certain radical left-wing leaders to the historical figures of communism.

However, nothing allows us, on the basis of this photo alone, to assert that she politically claims the legacy of Mao: it is precisely the contrast between the light tone of the publication and the tragic record of the Maoist regime that fuels the controversy.