{{Short description|French politician (born 1979)}} {{Expand French|topic=bio|Sophia Chikirou|date=June 2022}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}} {{infobox Politician | name = Sophia Chikirou | image = Sophia Chikirou lors des Amfis en août 2025-reduite.jpg | caption = Chikirou in 2025 | office = Member of the National Assembly<br />for Paris's 6th constituency | term_start = 22 June 2022 | predecessor = Pierre Person | office2 = Councillor of Paris | term_start2 = 29 March 2026 | office3 = Member of the Regional Council of Île-de-France | term_start3 = 2 July 2021 | term_end3 = 15 April 2026 | president3 = Valérie Pécresse | constituency3 = Essonne | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1979|06|03|df=yes}} | birth_place = Bonneville, France | party = Socialist Party (1997–2006)<br>Modern Left (2007–2008)<br>Left Party (2008–present)<br>La France Insoumise {{nowrap|(2016–present)}} | alma_mater = Panthéon-Sorbonne University<br>Grenoble Institute of Political Studies<br>IAE Paris }}
'''Sophia Chikirou''' ({{IPA|fr|sɔfja ʃikiʁu|lang}}; born 3 June 1979) is a French politician who has represented the 6th constituency of Paris in the National Assembly since 22 May 2022.<ref name=ACTU>{{cite web|url=https://actu.fr/ile-de-france/paris_75056/legislatives-a-paris-sophia-chikirou-nupes-elue-au-premier-tour-dans-la-6eme-circonscription_51564711.html|title=Legislative in Paris: Sophia Chikirou (NUPES) elected in the first round in the 6th constituency|last1=Dolbois|first1=Maelys|website=ACTU Paris|language=French|date=13 June 2022|accessdate=13 June 2022}}</ref>
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.<ref name="ACTU" /> In 2026, she ran for office in the Paris municipal election.
Through her company Mediascop, she served as La France Insoumise communications director during multiple elections. She is both a romantic and political partner to Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
==Political career== 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.<ref>[https://www.leparisien.fr/politique/relation-avec-chikirou-argent-liquide-melenchon-denonce-le-niveau-d-ignominie-qu-il-subit-20-10-2018-7923861.php "Sophia Chikirou «n’est pas ma compagne» : la mise au point de Mélenchon"], ''Le Parisien'' (in French), 20 October 2018.</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-03-15 |title=Comptes de campagne de Jean-Luc Mélenchon : les prestations de Sophia Chikirou scrutées, mais validées |language=fr |work=Le Monde.fr |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/les-decodeurs/article/2023/03/15/campagne-presidentielle-de-jean-luc-melenchon-les-prestations-de-sophia-chikirou-scrutees-mais-validees_6165493_4355770.html |access-date=2023-08-21}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Belaïch |first=Charlotte |last2=Perou |first2=Olivier |title=La Meute de Olivier Pérou, Charlotte Belaïch - Editions Flammarion |url=https://editions.flammarion.com/la-meute/9782080428714 |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=editions.flammarion.com |language=fr}}</ref>
She is both a romantic and political partner to Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
Their relationship is considered an open secret<ref>[https://www.franceinfo.fr/replay-magazine/france-2/complement-d-enquete/video-les-gens-l-appellent-la-reine-mere-quand-les-langues-se-delient-autour-de-sophia-chikirou-la-conseillere-en-communication-de-jean-luc-melenchon_6099306.html ''"Les gens l'appellent la reine-mère" : quand les langues se délient autour de Sophia Chikirou, la conseillère en communication de Jean-Luc Mélenchon''], France Info, 05/10/2023</ref> <ref>''[https://www.tdg.ch/tensions-au-sein-de-la-nupes-en-france-sophia-chikirou-la-femme-du-chef-et-ses-methodes-violentes-593338288487 Sophia Chikirou, la «femme du chef» et ses méthodes violentes],'' Tribune de Genève, Alain Rebetez, 05.10.2023. </ref>. She has been described as more powerful than Mathilde Panot, the leader of the LFI parliamentary group<ref>''[https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2023/10/03/pourquoi-la-justice-enquete-sur-la-deputee-lfi-sophia-chikirou_6192142_3224.html Pourquoi la justice enquête sur la députée LFI Sophia Chikirou]'', Le Monde, Laura Motet, 03 octobre 2023</ref>.
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 behaviour. Manuel Bompard described the book as "a collage of gossip and false information".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fabien Roussel compare LFI à une "secte sous l’emprise d’un couple, celui de Jean-Luc Mélenchon et de sa compagne Sophia Chikirou" |url=https://www.ladepeche.fr/2025/05/06/fabien-roussel-compare-lfi-a-une-secte-sous-lemprise-dun-couple-celui-de-jean-luc-melenchon-et-de-sa-compagne-sophia-chikirou-12678608.php |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=ladepeche.fr |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-05-06 |title=La Meute : un livre-enquête pointe les dérives du système Mélenchon |url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/la-meute-un-livre-enquete-pointe-les-derives-du-systeme-melenchon-20250506 |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=Le Figaro |language=fr}}</ref>
In 2026, she ran for office in the Paris municipal election. In the second round, Emmanuel Grégoire, who was endorsed by the Communist Party the Socialist Party, and the Green Party refused to ally with her<ref>[https://www.liberation.fr/politique/elections/municipales-a-paris-face-a-emmanuel-gregoire-tous-les-coups-sont-permis-pour-lfi-20260204_KCMJNNHA5NDXZOK6CLV6YGEBBY/ ''Municipales à Paris : alliance à droite, division à gauche''], 16/03/2026, Libération</ref>. She obtained 11.72% of the votes.
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chikirou, Sophia}} Category:1979 births Category:Living people Category:People from Bonneville, Haute-Savoie Category:Deputies of the 16th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Category:Deputies of the 17th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Category:French people of Algerian descent Category:Socialist Party (France) politicians Category:Modern Left politicians Category:Left Party (France) politicians Category:La France Insoumise politicians Category:Members of Parliament for Paris Category:Women members of the National Assembly (France) Category:Members of the Regional Council of Île-de-France Category:21st-century French women politicians Category:Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University alumni