French Minister Marlene Schiappa faces flak for appearance on Playboy magazine’s cover

Marlene Schiappa, the current Minister for the Social Economy and French Associations, is set to appear on the cover of the French edition of Playboy magazine. The cover will feature Schiappa fully clothed, and an interview with the Minister will focus on women's rights and LGBTQ+ issues. Schiappa is a long-time advocate for gender equality, having spearheaded a law in France banning cat-calling and the harassment of women.

However, Schiappa's decision to appear on the cover of Playboy has drawn criticism from politicians in France, with some saying it is "not at all appropriate." The country is currently experiencing widespread unrest due to President Emmanuel Macron's proposed pension reforms, which include raising the retirement age from 62 to 64.

Green MP Sandrine Rousseau expressed her disapproval on TV channel BFM, saying, "Where is the respect for the French people? Women's bodies should be able to be exposed anywhere, I don't have a problem with that, but there's a social context." Similarly, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Born reportedly told Schiappa that the cover was inappropriate.


Jean Luc Mélenchon, a politician, criticized Schiappa's appearance in the publication and Macron's interview with a children's magazine, Pif Gadget. In a tweet, he said, "In a country where the President expresses himself in Pif and his minister in Playboy, the problem would be the opposition. France is going off the rails."

In defense of her decision, Schiappa tweeted, "Defending the right of women to dispose of their bodies is everywhere and all the time. In France, women are free. With all due respect to the backsliders and the hypocrites."

Meanwhile, thousands of French people have taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest the pension reforms, with violent outbursts and strikes reported. The French government argues that raising the retirement age is necessary to prevent the pension system from going bankrupt, but critics say there are other ways to fund pensions, such as taxing the wealthy more. Opinion polls show that a majority of voters are opposed to the pension reforms.

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December 1, 1953

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