A Playboy front cover with a van Emmanuel Macron‘s most important ministers has become the latest issue to rock the French president’s government.
With Paris on fire, approval ratings falling and a parliament in revolt against pension reforms, Macron is now dealing with the fallout from a 12-page interview with Marlene Schiappa in the magazine known for filling its pages with pictures of naked women.
The decision to pose for Playboy has drawn criticism from within the former erotica writer’s own party, including Elisabeth Borne, the Prime Minister and Mrs Schiappa’s boss.
Ms Schiappa (40), the outspoken Secretary of State for Social Economy and Associations and a self-proclaimed ‘sapio-sexual’ – someone who is attracted to highly intelligent people – was seen as ‘the most Playboy compatible” of ministers, Jean-Christophe Florentin, de Playboy France editor said.
Ms Schiappa, an activist turned politician, reportedly agreed to give the interview to explain everything from feminism, violence against women and women’s rights, to politics, global warming and literature.
As Ms. Schiappa appears fully clothed on the cover and in the 12-page spread, she poses seductively, wrapped around the French flag, reports The Parisianwho broke the story.
We need your permission to load this Social Media Content
We use a number of different social media channels to manage additional content that may place cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Check their details and accept them to load the content.
Leaked photos show the minister wearing a one-shoulder dress in one image and a voluminous bow-tie dress in another, under the headline “A liberated minister”.
Ms Schiappa’s critics described her performance as a contrived distraction and an embarrassment to her party.
According to French media, Ms Borne even berated Ms Schiappa in a phone call on Saturday, telling her it was “inappropriate” given the context of the pension reform protests that have rocked the country over the past three months. Ms. Schiappa did not clarify the interview with Ms. Borne beforehand.
“I thought beforehand it was April 1,” said Ludovic Mendes, colleague of Ms Schiappa’s renaissance party.
“I can understand the feminist struggle, but I don’t see why we should do it Playboy. There are other ways to do it.”
Mrs. Schiappa defended her Playboy cover, called her critics hypocrites. “Defending women’s right to control their bodies is everywhere and always. In France, women are free,” she tweeted. “With all due respect to the apostates and the hypocrites.”
