French Minister Under Fire for Playboy Cover as Party Colleagues Express Disapproval.
Marlene Schiappa, the French government minister responsible for women’s and LGBT rights, found herself in hot water after appearing on the front cover of the infamous Playboy magazine. The 12-page interview was part of a larger discussion on women's and LGBT rights issues.
Schiappa has been a long-time advocate for women's rights, spearheading a new sexual harassment law that allows for immediate fines to be issued to men who catcall or harass women in public spaces. Her government minister role dates back to 2017.
However, her recent appearance on the cover of Playboy magazine sparked criticism from some of her own party members, including French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. According to a source close to the prime minister, Borne expressed disapproval of Schiappa's decision to appear on the magazine, stating that it "wasn't appropriate, especially during this period."
French politician Jean Luc Mélenchon, who came in third place in last year's presidential elections, took to Twitter to criticize both Schiappa's appearance and President Emmanuel Macron's recent interview with children’s magazine Pif Gadget. Mélenchon tweeted that the situation highlighted a country "going off the rails."
Schiappa responded to criticism from detractors by tweeting: "Defending the right of women to have control over their bodies, that's everywhere and all the time. In France, women are free. With all due respect to the detractors and hypocrites."
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin came to Schiappa’s defense during an interview with French news channel CNews on Sunday, calling her a "woman of character" and stating that he respects her style.
Marlene Schiappa, the French government minister responsible for women’s and LGBT rights, found herself in hot water after appearing on the front cover of the infamous Playboy magazine. The 12-page interview was part of a larger discussion on women's and LGBT rights issues.
Schiappa has been a long-time advocate for women's rights, spearheading a new sexual harassment law that allows for immediate fines to be issued to men who catcall or harass women in public spaces. Her government minister role dates back to 2017.
However, her recent appearance on the cover of Playboy magazine sparked criticism from some of her own party members, including French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. According to a source close to the prime minister, Borne expressed disapproval of Schiappa's decision to appear on the magazine, stating that it "wasn't appropriate, especially during this period."
French politician Jean Luc Mélenchon, who came in third place in last year's presidential elections, took to Twitter to criticize both Schiappa's appearance and President Emmanuel Macron's recent interview with children’s magazine Pif Gadget. Mélenchon tweeted that the situation highlighted a country "going off the rails."
Schiappa responded to criticism from detractors by tweeting: "Defending the right of women to have control over their bodies, that's everywhere and all the time. In France, women are free. With all due respect to the detractors and hypocrites."
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin came to Schiappa’s defense during an interview with French news channel CNews on Sunday, calling her a "woman of character" and stating that he respects her style.
i get where she's coming from tho, equality for women & LGBT rights is EVERYTHING 
gotta respect her for sticking to her principles even when it gets tough 
schiappa's been a total boss in that department since 2017, pushing boundaries left & right 
darmanin's got her back tho, i love how he called her out as a strong & stylish woman 
what do u guys think about this whole situation?
Come on, politicians! Can't they just chill? I mean, Marlene Schiappa's been fighting for women's rights and LGBT issues for years, and now she gets roasted by her own party members for appearing in Playboy? 
It's like, if you're gonna criticize someone for their body, at least have the courage to do it without being a hypocrite yourself. 
That's like saying you're a good parent because you don't yell at your kids when they make mistakes. 
. Schiappa's been fighting for equality and empowerment all these years, and then she gets hit with this criticism? It's like, what's next? 
And honestly, if some party members are gonna get all worked up over this, maybe they should be focusing on actual issues instead of trying to shame someone who's advocating for change 
. I get that she wants to promote women's empowerment and control over their bodies, but using a magazine that's basically known for objectifying women doesn't exactly scream "empowerment" to me 
like what's going on here? Min 40 yrs exp in govt & now she gets backlash for cover shoot? 
Playboy mag has been around since forever! isn't it about time we get our priorities straight, focusing less on who's on the cover and more on what's being done behind the scenes? 
I'm not buyin' it. And these politicians suddenly losin' their minds over it too... Jean Luc Mélenchon sayin' France is "going off the rails"... sounds like someone's tryna distract us from somethin'. 
. Schiappa is literally trying to make a point about women's rights and body autonomy here, and she gets roasted by her own party members? Talk about hypocrisy 
. At least Darmanin said something nice, lol 
. I mean, come on, she's just trying to make a point about women's rights and they're already attacking her for it? 
It's kinda sad when people are more concerned about appearances than actual progress 
.
. i think darmanin's defense of her is cool tho 
.
. And can we talk about how ridiculous it is for Jean Luc Mélenchon to get so riled up over this? Like, come on, dude, lighten up 
She seems to be saying that a woman should have control over her own body, which is true and all, but I'm not sure if appearing on the cover of an adult magazine was really necessary. Maybe she could've made her point in a different way? And to make matters worse, some of her own party members are criticizing her for it!