French minister under fire for Playboy magazine cover | CNN

France's Minister for the Social Economy and French Associations, Marlene Schiappa, has found herself at the center of controversy after appearing on the front cover of Playboy magazine. The 12-page interview accompanying her image was about women's and LGBT rights, but the move has been widely criticized by her own party members.

Schiappa has been a vocal advocate for women's rights since her appointment as Gender Equality Minister in 2017. She spearheaded the passage of a new law allowing on-the-spot fines to be issued to men who catcall, harass, or follow women on the street. Her commitment to this cause has earned her widespread recognition and respect.

However, not everyone is pleased with Schiappa's decision to pose for Playboy. French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, who is also a close ally of President Emmanuel Macron, has expressed disapproval over the cover. "It wasn't appropriate, especially during this period," she reportedly told a source close to the prime minister.

Schiappa's critics argue that her decision to appear on the magazine's cover undermines her reputation as a champion of women's rights. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the Green Party politician who came third in the 2022 presidential elections, has also criticized Schiappa's appearance, stating that it is "unacceptable" and that France is "going off the rails."

In response to the criticism, Schiappa took to Twitter to defend her decision, saying that she was standing up for women's right to control their own bodies. However, her critics have labeled her as a hypocrite, pointing out that the French president, Emmanuel Macron, recently gave an interview to children's magazine Pif Gadget.

French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has come to Schiappa's defense, calling her a "woman of character" and saying that he respects her style. Despite the backlash, Schiappa remains committed to her cause and continues to advocate for women's rights in France.

omg what is going on with schiappa she's literally been criticized by everyone, even the pm like isn't she supposed to be fighting for those same rights? i feel like she's being super double standard about it either way, i hope she knows that her body is her own and she can do what makes her happy gotta respect a woman who speaks her mind and stands up for herself

omg this is soooo confusing schiappa is literally doing the opposite of what she's supposed to be fighting for lol like catcalling laws are one thing but posing for playboy on the cover is a whole other story i get where darmanin is coming from but schiappa needs to take responsibility for her actions and not just shift the blame it's gonna be interesting to see how this all plays out

I don't get it lol... Marlene Schiappa is like, super pro-women's rights and then she poses for Playboy? It's like, two different vibes you know? She's trying to stand up for women controlling their bodies, but at the same time she's on the cover of a magazine that's kinda... not exactly known for its feminist cred I mean, what's next? Is she just trying to stir up controversy or what?

This whole situation with Marlene Schiappa is kinda puzzling... on one hand, I get why she wanted to use Playboy as a platform to talk about women's rights - it's not like we don't see enough objectification of women already . But at the same time, it's hard to shake off the feeling that this is all just a bit too calculated for comfort... I mean, who else can make being on the cover of an adult magazine a legit way to talk about feminism? And now with PM Borne chiming in and calling it "unacceptable"... it feels like Schiappa's just trying to stir up drama . Still, kudos to her for sticking to her guns and keeping the conversation going - that's what counts!

I'm so surprised by this whole thing! Like, I get it, Schiappa is all about empowering women, but posing for Playboy just seems like a weird move, you know? And now she's getting roasted by her own party members... it's like, come on! She was already making waves with that catcalling law, and now this? Just don't see how it aligns with her feminist goals. And what about the hypocrisy thing? I mean, if she's so passionate about women's rights, shouldn't she be setting a better example?

I don’t usually comment but... I think it’s kinda weird that people are freaking out over Marlene Schiappa posing for Playboy. She was trying to promote a message about women's rights , which is actually pretty cool, especially since she's been doing so much work in that area. It's not like she's selling her body or anything - it's just a magazine interview! And yeah, maybe she didn't think it through, but come on, people get criticized all the time for stuff they say and do... Gérald Darmanin is right, Schiappa is a strong woman with conviction . Maybe we should give her some space instead of tearing her down

I think its kinda rich that some ppl r callin out Marlene Schiappa 4 posing on Playboy's cover when Emmanual Macron did a thing with kids mag recently... dont wanna bring up his name rn tho . I actually think Shcippia's got balls for speakin out about women's rights and puttin herself out there like that. its not always easy 2 be a strong voice in politics, especially w/ the sexism & hatemail she'll get. gotta respect her for doin what she thinks is right

The fact that Marlene Schiappa is being roasted by her own party members over posing for Playboy is kinda weird. I mean, she's been a vocal advocate for women's rights since 2017, and now this comes out? It's like, shouldn't we be more concerned about the message being sent when we're supposed to be promoting equality?

And yeah, I get that Schiappa stood up for women's right to control their own bodies, but didn't she think her party members would be on board with that? Elisabeth Borne and Jean-Luc Mélenchon are basically telling her to tone it down because of the image. But I'm like, if you're gonna challenge sexism, can't have your own feet in the fire sometimes?

It's also kinda interesting how Schiappa is getting defended by Gérald Darmanin, who's basically saying she's a "woman of character". That's a pretty low bar, don't you think? Still, I'll give her props for sticking to her guns and not backing down on the issue. She's got some guts for that.

This is like, totally messed up . I mean, Marlene Schiappa is literally fighting for women's rights and then she does this... it just doesn't add up . I get that Playboy is a big deal, but come on, you're trying to be the voice of feminism? That's like wearing a 'I'm with stupid' t-shirt to a march . And yeah, maybe the timing isn't great, but can't we just have our politicians be more genuine for once? It's not like she's doing this for attention or something... although now that I think about it, maybe that is part of the reason .

I mean, can you believe this? Schiappa gets roasted for posing for Playboy, but she was just trying to make a point about women's rights! I'm all about being bold and speaking your truth . If anyone's going to get slammed for their views, it should be someone who's not exactly known for taking risks . And can we talk about how hypocritical some people are? Macron was just interviewed by a kids' magazine, but Schiappa gets a hard time . It's all about timing and context, right?

I mean, can you believe this? Marlene Schiappa, the queen of feminism in France, just posed nude on Playboy's cover... like, what's next? I get that she wants to stand up for women's rights and all, but this is not exactly the most subtle move. It feels like a weird way to draw attention to her cause. And yeah, it's not exactly cool that some of her own party members are trashing her over it. I'm also curious about why Schiappa felt the need to defend herself on Twitter - was she expecting this backlash? And can we talk about how quickly people forget when they're in power? The Green Party's Jean-Luc Mélenchon is being super hypocritical here, and it's just so... extra.