Bruno Cautrès is a CNRS and Cevipof researcher. His research focuses on the analysis of political behavior and attitudes.
LE FIGARO. - Marlène Schiappa will be the guest of Cyril Lignac in Tous en cuisine on M6. The Minister Delegate in charge of Citizenship will cook two recipes from the Ministry of the Interior. What do you think of this news?
Bruno CAUTRÈS. -
The participation of members of government or politicians in television programs that are not political programs is not new. In the 1990s and 2000s we had already seen Michel Rocard and Lionel Jospin participate in non-political programs. The political in the non-political and vice versa, such is the game that is then played in this type of television program. It is a game of mirrors: neither the chief nor the minister need the image or the notoriety of the other of course, but each one can nevertheless gain something in this exchange. We must be careful not to overinterpret the situation, but we must not underinterpret it either. Basically, a lot ofpolitical and media actors start from the observation of the strong attenuation of ideologies and the loss of meaning of the essential function of politics: to chart a course from considerations built on abstract and general thought patterns. It is increasingly difficult to embody things through a grand ideological narrative.
There is a real problem of perceived distance and a bad image of politics, and even more so of politicians, in France.
Bruno Cautres
In the same way that starred chefs have played the game of media coverage to make some of their cooking secrets accessible to everyone and thus become popular stars, partly breaking the barrier between the ordinary cook that we are. and the artists that they are, the politician tries to show himself in a more human light, "in the kitchen". What is really interesting in this case is that the Minister will cook from the ministry, as if she wanted to show us the kitchens of Place Beauvau ”and thus play the card of reducing political distance. By remaining on the spot, in his ministry, it attenuates the side “society of the spectacle” and “breaker of codes” of the exercise to which the minister will lend himself. Politics play, but play at home.And perhaps she will take the opportunity to pay tribute to restaurants and their staff, severely affected by the Covid crisis?
Should this be seen as an illustration of a reduction of politics to the race for “buzz”?
It would be tempting to answer in the affirmative.
But that would undoubtedly be reductive.
There is a real problem of perceived distance and poor image of politics, and even more so of politicians, in France.
Perceived as living "in their bubble", disconnected from "real life" or having "privileges", politicians are perceived as non-empathetic and above all turned towards their re-election.
We cannot at the same time address this reproach to them and at the same time make a mockery of the attempts to want to break the codes a little and to be more "close".
Obviously, we must not be naive either and as we said above it is also a game of mirrors and representation.
To what extent is this show a symptom of our time?
This show is indeed quite symptomatic of our time. In a context of deep crisis of political sense and political representation, where many citizens doubt and wonder about the role of politics, it is for politicians to try to reconnect with citizens by starting from their lived experiences, to be part of a relationship that is as horizontal as possible with them: talking about what preoccupies people, showing that we experience the same things as them, redefining the border between the “sacred” world of politics and the “secular” universe of ordinary lives. Coming to a very well-known and renowned cooking show, with a chef who embodies a form of modernity and success, cooking in front of the cameras and exposing oneself in this way is part of this search fora new link with citizens and renewed communication. The animators-stars are never again the mediators of the public who reduce the distance always perceived as great between the public and the world of politics.
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The minister will take the opportunity to support three associations supporting orphaned children of police, firefighters and gendarmes. Conversely, can this type of program not make it possible to reach an audience not very interested in politics and reconcile the French and their rulers?
If the minister will perhaps put on the kitchen apron, she will above all keep her minister's costume: the tribute paid (through support for these three associations) to the police officers, gendarmes and firefighters who died in the exercise of their jobs and to their families is a very beautiful thing.
However, I am not sure that this will reconcile the French with the world of politics because the gap is still large.
We will undoubtedly see it once again in the data of the next wave of the Cevipof Political Confidence Barometer: there is a long way to go for the French to perceive politics and its actors (leaders or women) more positively. political parties for example).
