Holy blue! French Senate candidate admits editing photos for campaign posters and ‘misleading’ voters… but says it’s her right to have a ‘nice photo’
- Juliette de Causans used heavily edited photos in her campaign materials
- The candidate was accused of misleading voters when unedited photos emerged
A French politician has been accused of “misleading” voters after using heavily enhanced photos of herself on a campaign poster.
On materials from the French party “Europe Écologie Égalité,” the senatorial candidate is pictured with a radiant tan and straight white teeth.
A poster urging voters to support senatorial candidate Juliette de Causans features an image of a glamorous-looking woman in her 20s.
However, voters complained that they were being misled after it was revealed that the image used on the poster had been heavily edited to enhance the candidate’s appearance.
An unedited version of the photo instead showed that the candidate looked older, had a less radiant tan and had slightly less straight teeth. In fact, the two people seem completely different when you compare them side by side.
A heavily edited photo of Juliette de Causans appeared on a campaign poster before a second unedited photo of the candidate emerged
It later emerged that Ms de Causans was in her 40s when an unedited photo of the candidate emerged.
According to The Telegraph, she later admitted to enhancing the photos but claimed the edited images would help further her cause.
The senatorial candidate of the small centrist Europe Écologie Égalité party, founded by breakaway supporters of President Macron, also claimed that it was her right to have a “beautiful photo.”
Ms de Causans first entered politics in 2021, having previously worked as a teacher before running for MP in the Ardennes.
It emerged that Europe Écologie Égalité candidates had used doctored photos in their campaign materials
In the 2022 election, Ms. de Causans only received 4.28 percent of the vote in the mountain region.
Potential voters were quick to condemn Ms de Causans for the misleading photos, with one Instagram user calling them “pathetic”.
“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,” said the Instagram user.
Candidates who also ran for Europe Écologie Égalité also appeared to have used heavily edited photos in campaign materials.
Heavily edited versions of the photos showed the contestant with clearer skin, straighter teeth and silkier hair.