As citizen investigators and journalists trawl through the latest Epstein files, questions about the billionaire pedophile’s influence continue to mount.

In some countries, this has forced investigations, public condemnation, and a measure of accountability. In Great Britain, accusations have focused on the former Prince Andrew, arrested on February 19, but also on New Labour politician Peter Mandelson, until recently ambassador to the United States. A stream of revelations about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein threatened Keir Starmer’s government itself, with the prime minister’s powerful chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, stepping down over his role in appointing Mandelson. In Norway, former premier Thorbjørn Jagland has been charged over his association with Epstein, and the country has launched an independent commission to examine other possible crimes.

But what about France? Here, revelations from the files have already prompted at least one resignation. Jack Lang, the powerful former culture minister, began stepping down as president of the Institute of the Arab World after a blizzard of files and correspondence revealed his family’s financial links to Epstein as well as a close personal friendship between the two men.