French minister defends her decision to appear on the cover of Playboy

Her decision to appear in the magazine was harshly criticized by other French politicians, including by members of her party.

 Marlene Schiappa, newly appointed French deputy Minister responsible for Citizenship, attends a handover ceremony at the Interior Ministry in Paris, France, July 7, 2020. (photo credit: REUTERS/GONZALO FUENTES)
Marlene Schiappa, newly appointed French deputy Minister responsible for Citizenship, attends a handover ceremony at the Interior Ministry in Paris, France, July 7, 2020.
(photo credit: REUTERS/GONZALO FUENTES)

French minister Marlène Schiappa, aged 40, came under heavy criticism for her decision to appear on the front cover of Playboy magazine, news sources reported on Sunday. Schiappa, who serves as minister for social economy and associations in Emmanuel Macron's government, will appear fully clothed in the French edition of the magazine.

Schiappa tweeted the day before that she is "defending the right of women to do what they want with their bodies."

Members from Schiappa's party also criticized her decision

Her decision to appear in the magazine was harshly criticized by other French politicians, including by members of her party, according to CNN. This comes amidst strikes and protests by French citizens over the government's decision to raise the state pension age from 62 to 64.

Schiappa is said to be the "most Playboy compatible of her colleagues," according to Sky News quoting the opinion of French Playboy editor Jean-Christophe Florentin.

She also previously served as the French Equality Minister in 2017, where she spearheaded a new law that would fine those who catcall others on the street.

The magazine featuring the French minister will be available to purchase later this week. It will also include a 12-page interview that she did on supporting women's and LGBTQ+ rights and abortion, media sources reported.