The holidays are approaching, the end of the controversies? A few days before the truce, there is no doubt that politicians are already thinking about their summer holidays. But after a year rich in emotions, this rest will not be without risk. Because in swimsuits on the beach or in tap shoes at the campsite, parliamentarians and members of the government must continue to avoid missteps.
With a good soul, 20 minutes chose to help them have a hassle-free vacation, by compiling a list of things not to do to avoid any controversy during the summer.
1. The overly bling-bling vacation spot
At the time of “Make Our Planet Great Again”, it is difficult to go to the end of the world without thinking about your carbon footprint. “It’s a question of ethics, I avoid flying too much. I was not used to going to bask in Bali before being elected, it is still the case today, ”explains a member of Nupes. Also to be avoided: vacations that are too bling-bling, to avoid controversies like Nicolas Sarkozy and his rest aboard a luxury yacht in 2007 off the coast of Malta. For members of the government, the rules set for several years – being a 3-hour journey from Paris – limit too exotic destinations.
“The vacation spot has become a political object. Today we are asking ministers, in particular, not to make waves, to be French like the others, even if they are not. If you go to the bottom of the Creuse rather than to Ibiza, you do not send the same message of communication ”, assures Alexandre Eyriès, teacher-researcher in political communication at the University of Lorraine. “Many choose a family home to recharge their batteries, to show that they are spending the holidays of Mr. and Mrs. Everybody,” he adds.
2. Not green activities
Here again, excessively polluting activities could quickly become an element of reproach on social networks, and even a weapon used by adversaries. To do some sport in a fun way, it is better to favor cycling, canoeing or paragliding, rather than go-karts, quads or jet-skis. Emmanuel Macron’s trip to the sea on a watercraft, last summer during his stay at Fort de Brégançon, had thus been strongly criticized by environmentalists, who denounced “criminal” behavior from a climate point of view.
Another element that has become subversive and to be handled with tweezers (or rather skewers), the traditional summer barbecue, which has become the subject of controversy in recent months between the communist Fabien Roussel and the ecologist Sandrine Rousseau.
3. Let loose in a nightclub
And why not take advantage of the holidays to test new steps and ignite the dance floor? Yes, but again, be careful not to overdo it. In the age of social networks, controversy is never far away. « A video of the Prime Minister of Finland [en août 2022] Showing her partying and dancing caused a scandal in the country,” recalls Alexandre Eyriès. “The political class is more scrutinized than before. There is a form of leaden screed, we always remind politicians of their function, of the notion of duty, even during their private leisure, ”adds the specialist. The former Minister of the Interior, Christophe Castaner, had also been criticized during a frenzied outing to a nightclub in the midst of a crisis of “yellow vests”.
4. Forget the shirt in the suitcase
On holidays, politicians generally dress more casually than usual. It is therefore rather the behavior that will be scrutinized by the neighbors of the campsite. “In terms of communication, it would seem ridiculous to appear in a suit and polished shoes on the beach”, emphasizes Alexandre Eyriès. “But the function and the public image impose a certain exemplarity, a minimum of dress, even in a bathing suit”.
One thing not to forget in the suitcase: the outfit to go on television if necessary. “On vacation, I always dress the same, as before I was a deputy. I’m not afraid of fashion missteps, ”smiles a left-wing elected official. “The only change last year: I took a jacket and a shirt to do visios with the news channels”. Everyone remembers the controversy sparked by Jean-François Mattei in the summer of 2003, when the Minister of Health responded in a polo shirt, from his house in the Var, in the middle of a heat wave.
5. Having too deep a tan
“With such a tan, it’s not the Minister of Labour, but that of the holidays!” On social networks, the brown faces of politicians do not fail to be scrutinized at the time of the start of the school year. In government, too, these kinds of details are sometimes studied. In 2018, “Benjamin Griveaux returned hyper-tanned from Marrakech in the midst of the “yellow vests” crisis. He was super bad. This year, everyone wants to avoid that”, breathed in 2019, At Parisian, a ministerial adviser for the Christmas holidays.
Do you really have to pay attention to your tanned complexion, even in summer? Alexandre Eyriès relativizes: “It could suggest that the files have not been worked on too much, especially for the ministers. But now, with the peopolization of politics, the look and therefore the tan are part of the positive virtues and display of communication”.