French Minister's Playboy Cover Sparks Backlash Among Her Own Party Members
Marlene Schiappa, France's Social Economy Minister since 2017, found herself at the center of a controversy after appearing on the front cover of the adult magazine Playboy. The issue accompanied a 12-page interview with the magazine where Schiappa discussed women's and LGBT rights.
Schiappa has been a long-time advocate for women's rights and was appointed as France's first-ever Gender Equality Minister in 2017. In this role, she successfully spearheaded a new sexual harassment law that allows for on-the-spot fines to be issued to men who catcall or harass women on the street.
However, her decision to appear on Playboy has drawn criticism from some of her own party members, including French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. Borne reportedly told Schiappa that it "wasn't appropriate" and that she was in a period where such behavior was not suitable.
The timing of the controversy is particularly notable as France is currently dealing with a social crisis sparked by President Emmanuel Macron's push to implement pension reforms despite public opposition. Other politicians, including Green Party politician Sandrine Rousseau and far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, have weighed in on Schiappa's decision, with Mélenchon calling out both her appearance and the president's interview with a children's magazine as indicative of "a country going off the rails."
Schiappa has responded to criticism by defending her right to express herself, saying that she is fighting for women's control over their bodies. French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has come to Schiappa's defense, calling her a "woman of character" and praising her courage in speaking out on important issues.
Marlene Schiappa, France's Social Economy Minister since 2017, found herself at the center of a controversy after appearing on the front cover of the adult magazine Playboy. The issue accompanied a 12-page interview with the magazine where Schiappa discussed women's and LGBT rights.
Schiappa has been a long-time advocate for women's rights and was appointed as France's first-ever Gender Equality Minister in 2017. In this role, she successfully spearheaded a new sexual harassment law that allows for on-the-spot fines to be issued to men who catcall or harass women on the street.
However, her decision to appear on Playboy has drawn criticism from some of her own party members, including French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. Borne reportedly told Schiappa that it "wasn't appropriate" and that she was in a period where such behavior was not suitable.
The timing of the controversy is particularly notable as France is currently dealing with a social crisis sparked by President Emmanuel Macron's push to implement pension reforms despite public opposition. Other politicians, including Green Party politician Sandrine Rousseau and far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, have weighed in on Schiappa's decision, with Mélenchon calling out both her appearance and the president's interview with a children's magazine as indicative of "a country going off the rails."
Schiappa has responded to criticism by defending her right to express herself, saying that she is fighting for women's control over their bodies. French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has come to Schiappa's defense, calling her a "woman of character" and praising her courage in speaking out on important issues.
... I get where she's coming from, fighting for women's rights is important, but is it really necessary to do that with a magazine like Playboy? 
It feels kinda low-key ironic when you think about the whole issue of catcalling and harassment on the streets 
. On one hand, I love her spunk for defending herself and what she believes in 
, but on another hand, it's a big deal to some people in her party... like, doesn't that kinda split things? 
by the reaction from some of Marlene Schiappa's own party members. I mean, she's been fighting for women's rights and LGBT rights for years, and now they're giving her grief about posing for Playboy? 
It just seems like a bunch of hypocrisy to me. And what really gets my goat is that some of them are trying to use this as an excuse to shift attention away from the real issues at hand, like France's pension crisis. 
. And let's be real, if some politicians were so concerned about what someone does on their personal time, maybe they should focus on doing their job better 
.
She's already done so much good work on sexism and harassment laws, it feels like she should be getting support from her own party. And honestly, if anyone can rock the Playboy cover thing with style, it's Schiappa - she's all about female empowerment 
I mean marlene schiappa is like literally fighting for women's rights and then she does this... i get it she wants to express herself but can't she do that w/o puttin her party in a weird position? 
And Jean-Luc Mélenchon's rant about the country going off the rails... girl, bye 
Darmanin's defense of her is so sweet tho 
. I get that Marlene Schiappa wants to express herself, but can't she choose a different platform? I mean, Playboy's got a pretty shady history when it comes to women and feminism 
. It feels like she's using her body as some kind of tool to fight for women's rights, which just doesn't sit right with me 
.
. Maybe this is an opportunity for her to talk about something more meaningful than just her Playboy cover?
. Schiappa seems pretty chill about it too, just saying what she believes in and standing up for women's rights... I think that's awesome! 
. but honestly, i kinda admire her for speaking out about women's control over their bodies 
especially when shes been vocal about equality & feminism. Can we pls not judge her based on how she chooses to present herself? 
. I mean, have you ever tried one? It's like, so smooth and rich... anyway, back to Schiappa, I don't get why her party members are being so dramatic about it. She's still fighting for the same causes she was before - women's rights and all that jazz 
. And yeah, I guess appearing on Playboy does kinda rub people the wrong way, but who doesn't love a good scandal every now and then? 
Anyway, speaking of scandals, have you seen those new avocado toast prices in town? Like, $15 for toast? No thanks, dude... 
Marlene Schiappa is literally a hero for women's rights and then she goes and gets splashed across the cover of Playboy... like, isn't that just something? 
I'm all about women's rights and empowerment, but this seems like a major misstep to me. Like, can't she just be smart about how she chooses her platforms? 
. I mean, who doesn't love a good scandal to distract us from the pension reforms going down? On a more serious note, it's kinda rich that she's fighting for women's control over their bodies when you're on the cover of an adult magazine... just saying 
. Anyway, I guess this is what happens when you try to be a feminist icon in France – you get accused of being hypocritical. Schiappa's still got some serious balls for speaking out about important issues, so props to her for that 
, a minister from the party that claims to support women's rights is now being shamed for appearing on a Playboy cover 
I get it, not everyone's gonna agree with her views, but come on! Can't we just criticize the policy and leave the person alone?! It feels like we're more interested in tearing each other down than actually addressing the issues at hand.