Sophia Chikirou
 | You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in French. (June 2022) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
Sophia Chikirou | |
|---|---|
| Member of the National Assembly for Paris's 6th constituency | |
| Assumed office 22 June 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Pierre Person |
| Member of the Regional Council of Île-de-France | |
| Assumed office 2 July 2021 | |
| President | Valérie Pécresse |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 June 1979 Bonneville, France |
| Political party | Socialist Party (1997–2006) Modern Left (2007–2008) Left Party (2008–present) La France Insoumise (2016–present) |
| Alma mater | Panthéon-Sorbonne University Grenoble Institute of Political Studies IAE Paris |
Sophia Chikirou (French pronunciation: [sɔfja ʃikiʁu]; born 3 June 1979) is a French politician who has represented the 6th constituency of Paris in the National Assembly since 22 May 2022.[1] A member of La France Insoumise (FI), she was elected to Parliament in the first round of the 2022 legislative election. Chikirou has also served as a member of the Regional Council of Île-de-France since 2021.[1]
Political career
[edit]A native of Bonneville, Haute-Savoie, Chikirou grew up in Scionzier. She joined the Socialist Party in 1997. From 2002 to 2007, Chikirou worked as a parliamentary assistant for Michel Charzat, who represented the 21st constituency of Paris in the National Assembly. She was excluded from the party in 2006 along with Charzat after they refused to rally behind George Pau-Langevin, the party's nominee for 2007 legislative election in the constituency. Charzat ran for reelection as a Socialist dissident under the miscellaneous left label with Chikirou as his substitute but was defeated.
As a member of La France Insoumise since 2016, she was Jean-Luc Mélenchon's presidential campaign communications director in the 2017 election.[2] In the 2022 legislative election, she was elected to Parliament for the 6th constituency of Paris, where she succeeded one-term incumbent Pierre Person of La République En Marche! who declined to run for reelection.[3]
Sophia Chikirou has been a close associate of Jean-Luc Mélenchon since 2011, serving as his press officer and later as his communications director during the 2012 and 2017 presidential campaigns. She founded the communications agency Mediascop, which managed Mélenchon's media strategy, introducing innovative techniques such as hologram appearances during rallies. Chikirou's influence extended beyond campaign periods, as she remained a key figure in shaping Mélenchon's public image and communication strategies.[4]
In September 2024, Chikirou was indicted for aggravated fraud and misuse of corporate assets in connection with the 2017 presidential campaign of La France Insoumise. Authorities allege that her company, Mediascop, overbilled services, resulting in substantial profits that she reportedly allocated to herself through bonuses and dividends. Chikirou denies these accusations, asserting that there was neither overbilling nor personal enrichment.[5][6]
The 2025 investigative book La Meute by Charlotte Belaïch and Olivier Pérou examines the internal dynamics of La France Insoumise, highlighting Chikirou's significant influence within the movement. The authors suggest that both Mélenchon and Chikirou contributed to an authoritarian atmosphere, drawing parallels to sect-like behavior. The book also raises concerns about antisemitic tendencies within the party, attributing some controversial remarks to Chikirou.[7][8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Dolbois, Maelys (13 June 2022). "Legislative in Paris: Sophia Chikirou (NUPES) elected in the first round in the 6th constituency". ACTU Paris (in French). Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ^ "Sophia Chikirou «n’est pas ma compagne» : la mise au point de Mélenchon", Le Parisien (in French), 20 October 2018.
- ^ "Comptes de campagne de Jean-Luc Mélenchon : les prestations de Sophia Chikirou scrutées, mais validées". Le Monde.fr (in French). 15 March 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
- ^ Belaïch, Charlotte; Perou, Olivier. "La Meute de Olivier Pérou, Charlotte Belaïch - Editions Flammarion". editions.flammarion.com (in French). Retrieved 18 May 2025.
- ^ à 13h42, Par Sébastian Compagnon Le 19 octobre 2018 (19 October 2018). "Pourquoi Sophia Chikirou, la conseillère de Mélenchon, est dans le viseur de la justice". leparisien.fr (in French). Retrieved 18 May 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Sophia Chikirou : « Il n'y a pas eu surfacturation » dans la campagne de Jean-Luc Mélenchon" (in French). 23 October 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
- ^ "Fabien Roussel compare LFI à une "secte sous l'emprise d'un couple, celui de Jean-Luc Mélenchon et de sa compagne Sophia Chikirou"". ladepeche.fr (in French). Retrieved 18 May 2025.
- ^ "La Meute : un livre-enquête pointe les dérives du système Mélenchon". Le Figaro (in French). 6 May 2025. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
- 1979 births
- Living people
- People from Bonneville, Haute-Savoie
- French people of Algerian descent
- Socialist Party (France) politicians
- Modern Left politicians
- Left Party (France) politicians
- La France Insoumise politicians
- Deputies of the 16th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic
- Members of Parliament for Paris
- Women members of the National Assembly (France)
- Members of the Regional Council of Île-de-France
- 21st-century French women politicians
- Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University alumni