A latest novel by France’s Finance and Economy Minister, Bruno Le Maire, fifty four years previous, has brought on quite a stir and left the government dealing with questions on how he finds the time to write amidst the nation’s current financial challenges. “American Fugue” is the 13th guide penned by Le Maire, who has been on the forefront of defending President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension reforms and grappling with surging gas costs and the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The novel, which explores the life of legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz via the eyes of two brothers, Franz and Oskar Wertheimer, has attracted consideration primarily for one specific web page – an explicitly erotic scene involving Oskar and a girl named Julia. The passage has been extensively mocked on social media and has drawn criticism from some politicians who consider the minister ought to be dedicating all his time to addressing pressing nationwide points.
The novel’s publication coincided with the information that credit score ratings company Fitch had downgraded France’s debt worthiness, further fuelling the debate across the appropriateness of Le Maire’s literary endeavours right now. Likewise, the controversy surrounding the French government’s communication method has been heightened following Social Economy Minister Marlene Schiappa’s latest photograph shoot for Playboy. While principally clothed, Schiappa’s decision to pose for the magazine prompted expressions of disapproval from Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne.
Despite not having read the novel, Le Maire’s colleague Olivier Dussopt defended his right to write down it, stating that it confirmed there were “feelings… behind the suits of the ministers.” Le Maire himself has been open in regards to the importance of his writing alongside his political profession, suggesting that the latter could be insufficient with out the freedom offered by literary creation.
Writing just isn’t an unusual pursuit for French politicians. Profit d’Estaing, who passed away in 2020 on the age of 94, wrote a number of racy novels throughout his retirement, including “The Princess and the President,” a narrative extensively believed to be primarily based on a romance between a French leader and the late Princess Diana. Additionally, former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has co-authored two thrillers..