
The Minister for Social Economy and Solidarity has been sacked by the French government after more than six years in office amid controversy over her alleged mismanagement of a public fund set up to fight 'extremism'.
Marlene Schiappa, who made headlines in April after posing for the cover of the French edition of Playboy magazine, learned of her dismissal during a phone call with President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday afternoon.
"We talked for a long time, about thirty minutes," she told Le Monde. "President Macron thanked me for my continuous commitment over the past seven years."
The former minister's controversial appearance in Playboy attracted criticism from colleagues and opponents. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne slammed Schiappa's decision to give an interview to the men's magazine, calling it 'not appropriate at all'.
Recently, Schiappa has been embroiled in a scandal over the 'Marianne' fund, which was founded with her help after the 2020 beheading of Paris school teacher Samuel Paty.