French politician hopeful admits digitally beautifying campaign photo for votes

15 September 2023 , 21:59

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The picture from the first time she digitally enhanced her face (Image: @JulietteCausans/Twitter)

A French politician has been criticised for "misleading" voters after she digitally beautified her campaign photos for more votes.

Juliette de Causans is running as a candidate in France’s senatorial elections this month and was pictured unrecognisable in recent posters. Ms De Causans is in her 40s but has not given her exact age, however, in the posters, she looked drastically younger and airbrushed. Her skin was noticeably brighter, her teeth straighter and her hair looked like it had been freshly blow-dried. On her Instagram photos her features looked markedly different. She used the feature to give herself a tan in publicity for parliamentary elections last year but this month took it a step further.

What Juliette de Causans looke liked before

What Juliette de Causans altered it to

Ms De Causans from the small centre party called Europe Ecologie Egalite later admitted to enhancing her look, according to reports. She said it is more likely to boost her party’s cause of supporting Europe and the environment. But social media users were quick to slam her for the airbrushing. "You are misleading voters with your campaign photo. It’s pathetic, I’m not voting for you anymore. Return to the Ardennes we deserve better", wrote one on her Instagram account.

Another said: "Indeed, you look nothing like your campaign photo, you start directly with lies, it’s beautiful." Defending herself, she said: "It’s my right as a candidate to have a beautiful photo. Hair, makeup and lighting, it’s not the same thing."

France's senate elections are in nine days and half of the seats will be up for renewal. President Macron is expected to suffer in the vote from his party's lack of local officials, but the conservatives, who have almost continually ruled over the chamber since 1958, are the favourites. Senators are chosen by "grands électeurs" and are elected for six years and half of the seats come up for election every three years.

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New bills proposed by the government and new private members bills must be approved by both chambers of the senate, before becoming law. In this indirect election, 79,000 electors will elect 170 senators in 42 mainland and overseas departments, including Paris, as well as the overseas territories of Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon and New Caledonia. Although the voting system differs according to the size of the constituency, the Right will benefit from a stable electorate because of its extensive network of local elected officials, in the wake of its victories in the 2020 municipal elections.

Rachel Hagan