Sitting Minister Becomes Playboy Cover Model... French Political Circles Also Embarrassed

France is suffering from protests against the pension reform pushed by President Emmanuel Macron, and Marl?ne Schiappa (40), the Secretary of State for Social Economy, has sparked controversy by appearing as a cover model for the adult magazine 'Playboy.'

[Photo by Marlen Siapa SNS]

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According to foreign media such as CNN on the 2nd (local time), the French edition of Playboy plans to feature a 12-page interview with Secretary Schiappa along with photos of her wearing a white dress on the cover of the April issue, which will be released on the 8th.

Secretary Schiappa reportedly agreed to the interview with Playboy to express her views on various topics including feminism, the eradication of violence against women, women's rights, politics and global warming, and literature.

Marlene Schiappa, Secretary of State for Social and Solidarity Economy at the Ministry of Economy and Finance
[Photo by AP·Yonhap News]

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The local newspaper Le Parisien, which first reported this fact, stated that although Secretary Schiappa appears fully clothed, there are also provocative photos where she drapes the French flag over her body.

In some leaked photos, Secretary Schiappa wears a long white dress exposing one shoulder or a voluminous white dress with a bow tie. One of the photos was captioned "The minister freed from bondage."

'Playboy' symbolic rabbit logo.
Photo by Yonhap News

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As this fact became known, criticism arose even within the ruling party (Renaissance Party).

Prime Minister ?lisabeth Borne reportedly called Secretary Schiappa on the 1st to scold her for "inappropriate conduct" in light of the nationwide unrest caused by protests against the pension reform over the past three months.

Fellow party member Ludovic Mendes also criticized in an interview with the media, saying, "I thought it was an April Fool's joke," and added, "I understand the fight as a feminist, but why do we have to see that fight in Playboy?"

The opposition parties have launched fierce criticism, claiming it is a government scheme to divert attention from the pension reform issue. The opposition also pointed out President Macron's recent interview with the children's magazine Pif.

Jean-Luc M?lenchon, leader of LFI (La France Insoumise), tweeted, "France is going down the wrong path."

Feminist Sandrine, a Green Party member, condemned it as "frivolous." She said, "We are trying to maintain order amid a social crisis, and there are people at the crossroads of life and death," adding, "It looks like an attempt to create a smokescreen with interviews in Pif or Playboy in such a situation."

On the other hand, G?rald Darmanin, France's Minister of the Interior, defended Secretary Schiappa in an interview with the news, calling her a "personable woman." Darmanin said, "Schiappa is different from me, but I wanted to say she is a courageous female politician with a style similar to mine," expressing his respect for her.

Secretary Schiappa responded to the criticism by calling it hypocritical.

She posted on Twitter, "It is above all important to defend women's right to protect their own bodies, and women are free in France," adding, "I salute the traitors and hypocrites."

Meanwhile, Secretary Schiappa was appointed Minister for Gender Equality by President Macron in 2017 after actively engaging in feminist activism and writing books related to sexuality. She also enacted a law that allows immediate fines for men who engage in catcalling (whistling or sexually harassing women on the street).

However, Secretary Schiappa has been involved in several controversies since her appointment. In 2021, she revealed that she is sapiosexual (someone who is sexually attracted to intelligence), and in one of her books, through the female protagonist, she referred to former Prime Minister Alain Jupp?, aged 77, as "the sexiest man in France," which attracted attention.

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