French magazine fined for outing far-right politician
By Josh Haggis
A French gossip magazine has been fined after it outed a prominent far-right politician.
A court in Paris ordered Closer to pay €20,000 in damages to the National Front Party’s Vice-President Florian Philippot for “invasion of privacy” after the chose to publicly reveal his sexuality.
Earlier this month (December), Closer published photographs of Philippot with an unnamed man alleged to be his boyfriend. The magazine’s front page also included the words “Yes to love for everyone” in French alongside a picture of the pair together.
Closer’s editor, Laurence Piau, defended the magazine’s decision to out Philippot, saying that it was “in the public interest” to do so.
“Florian Philippot is a high-profile figure, he’s the most invited guest on morning media shows after Marine Le Pen and the FN is a party like any other, if we believe what has been said of late,” she told Europe 1 radio.
“How can you imagine that the number two of the Front National, who could take power if you believe what the FN says, could take up his post without ever mentioning his family, his private relationships, without having a wife, or a girl or boyfriend? How is that possible in 2014?” she added.
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