French politicians celebrate ‘art de vivre’ as outdoor dining reopens

PARIS — The sun was (intermittently) shining on Paris Wednesday morning as bars and restaurants dusted off their terrace tables for the first time after months of coronavirus shutdown. But even with scattered showers, it proved hard to find a seat as they were all taken by French ministers.

Members of Emmanuel Macron’s Cabinet, as well as the president himself, rushed to have their first (non-clandestine) coffee outside, as France reopened outdoor spaces for bars and restaurants, as well as museums, cinemas and non-essential shops and pushed its curfew two hours later to 9 p.m.

Leaders around Europe have similarly celebrated their newfound freedoms in recent weeks during their own reopenings, taking the opportunity to pay tribute to their countries’ traditions. Britain’s Boris Johnson, for instance, poured his first post-lockdown pint himself last month and had a chat with pub regulars. French politicians opted for something more sober, having to attend a Cabinet meeting later in the morning.

To celebrate what Macron and his ministers called the art de vivre, the “art of living,” the president had an espresso with Prime Minister Jean Castex a few meters from the Elysée Palace. The two met in a bucolic, urban setting, surrounded by flowers and the sounds of Parisian traffic at Café Beauvau.

The crowd of reporters there experimented with a new interview format, quizzing Macron through a wooden trellis covered with plants. As if in a church confessional, Macron’s face was hidden, but his presidential voice was clear as it reassured them that reopening was the right choice.

Other members of his Cabinet proved they — or at least their comms teams — know the first rule of social media well: If you don’t post it, it didn’t happen.

Take for instance Clément Beaune, minister for European affairs, and his colleague in charge of transport, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, who met on a terrace close to the French parliament to have coffee and a fair amount of pastries (six croissants and pains au chocolat). Beaune’s comment on the post seemed to accuse Djebbari of eating them all himself. POLITICO was unable to independently verify this.

Marlène Schiappa, the minister in charge of citizenship, opted for tea on the other side of the Seine, in Paris’ 6th arrondissement, before joining the Cabinet meeting.

The man in charge of France’s coronavirus recovery plan, Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, preferred to take a break from his colleagues and have breakfast alone, reading about sports in the daily paper L’Équipe.

But Le Maire’s tranquility was quickly disrupted by the merciless reproach of social media critics, who never miss a chance to reprimand politicians — in this case for apparently not ordering something to drink. Le Maire was therefore forced to remedy this, posting a selfie as proof of purchase.

Members of the government were not the only ones to post pictures of themselves enjoying the great outdoors. During his lunch break, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the far-left France Unbowed party, had a lait à la fraise, a French version of a milkshake made with strawberry syrup.

CORRECTION: This article has been updated to correct Marlène Schiappa’s job title