A French government minister will appear on the front cover of Playboy magazine.

Marlene Schiappa, who is minister for social economy and associations in Emmanuel Macron’s government, will feature fully clothed alongside a 12-page interview in the French edition of the magazine.

Her decision to appear on the cover has been criticised by fellow politicians who are currently facing a huge backlash over Mr Macron’s pension reforms.

The increase in state pension age from 62 to 64 has triggered the worst strikes and violent protests France has seen in years.

Green MP Sandrine Rousseau told TV channel BFM: “Where is the respect for the French people?

“People who are going to have to work for two years more, who are demonstrating, who are losing days of salary, who aren’t managing to eat because of inflation.

“Women’s bodies should be able to be exposed anywhere, I don’t have a problem with that, but there’s a social context.”

Paris votes on whether to ban rental e-scooters

The Paris pensions protests are fast becoming a major crisis for Macron

France pension protests – latest: Paris descends into violence as protesters smash shops and riot police storm streets

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Born was reported to have called Ms Schiappa to tell her the cover is “not at all appropriate – especially in the current period”.

But mother-of-two Ms Schiappa defended her decision on Twitter.

“Defending the right of women to do what they want with their bodies: everywhere and all the time,” she wrote.

“In France, women are free. Whether it annoys the retrogrades and hypocrites or not.”

French Playboy editor Jean-Christophe Florentin said Ms Schiappa was the “most Playboy compatible” of her colleagues because of her feminist views.

The magazine is available to buy from 8 April, according to Le Parisien newspaper.

Ms Schiappa was an author and blogger focusing on women’s issues before she was appointed as a junior minister by Mr Macron in 2017.

In her former role as equalities minister, she brought forward legislation to make cat-calling and street harassment illegal.

She also praised a #MeToo era French social media campaign entitled “expose your pig“.

Related posts:

China sends three astronauts to new space station in first crewed mission for five years Ugandan athlete reported missing in Japan after skipping COVID test ahead of Tokyo Olympics SA president says deadly unrest designed to ‘destroy democracy’ on visit to site of looting Trump reaches $375m deal to sell Washington DC hotel Two murder arrests after children ‘thrown from window of flat’ in Sweden Passengers feared missing and two people trapped on burning vessel in Greece ‘There is no panic’: Ukrainian actors vow to ‘carry on’ as Russia’s troops sit on the border Taliban leave girls in tears after shutting their schools again Nestle pulls KitKat and Nesquik out of Russia after backlash – but continues selling essential foods The artillery slugging match for the south of Ukraine will be a slow and deadly grind Alleged cartel boss known as ‘El Tony Montana’ arrested in Mexico ‘City killer’ asteroid to pass between Earth and moon in 17,500mph close encounter