French Minister Who Published 'Eumransoseol'... Public Anger Over Pension Reform Intensifies

French Finance Minister Criticizes New Novel's Explicit Scenes
"Worried About High Inflation but Time Wasted on Erotic Scenes"

Bruno Le Maire (54), France's Minister of Finance, has recently become the subject of ridicule after publishing a novel that includes scenes of sexual intercourse, including descriptions of a woman's anus. Since President Macron's inauguration in 2017, Minister Le Maire has continuously served as the Minister of Economy.

According to local media such as AFP and La R?union on the 1st (local time), Bruno Le Maire, France's Minister of Finance, is facing fierce criticism for publishing a novel amid strong opposition from labor groups and others against the Macron government's forceful 'pension reform.'

Bruno Le Maire (54), French Minister of Finance [Photo by AFP]

Reports state that on the 27th of last month, Minister Le Maire published a full-length novel titled Fugue Am?ricaine (American-style Escape). The book tells the story of two brothers traveling to Cuba to attend a concert by the legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz.

Among the 471 pages of the novel, the part that has become controversial and the subject of ridicule on social networking services (SNS) is a scene where one of the protagonists has sexual intercourse with a woman.

Regarding this scene, AFP explained that "the sexual intercourse scene is described in erotic and very explicit terms," and particularly noted that the novel was published just hours before the credit rating agency Fitch downgraded France's sovereign credit rating.

Fitch downgraded France's credit rating from AA to AA-, citing "political deadlock and (sometimes violent) social movements threatening President Emmanuel Macron's reform agenda, which could pressure expansive fiscal policies or the withdrawal of reforms," expressing concern that the prolonged pension reform protests could burden the French economy.

On May 1st (local time), a citizen participating in the protest against pension reform held in Paris, France, was arrested by the police special unit 'Brav M'. Major French labor unions, united in opposition to the extension of the retirement age, held the 13th round of protests in more than 300 locations across the country on this day.
[Photo by EPA·Yonhap News]

The opposition parties have launched attacks against the Macron government over this controversy.

Fran?ois Ruffin, a member of the National Assembly from La France Insoumise (LFI), criticized, "At a time when the whole country is deeply worried about inflation, the minister should not have spent even a minute, an hour, or a week writing a book."

Minister Le Maire, who has published a total of 13 books including five written over the past four years, said in a recent interview with AFP, "If there is only politics without the freedom that literature and creativity provide, politics will not be sufficient."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.