German politician strips naked, calls on ‘open-minded citizens' to join him on swingers trip in France
A local German politician has copped backlash from fellow councillors after he stripped naked and called on residents to join him on a swingers trip in France.
Julien Ferrat, a councillor at Mannheim City, in southwest Germany, and representative of local political party 'Die Mannheime', said the eight-day trip to swinger hotspot, Cap d'Agde, in the south of France, is to investigate how it became a global hub in nudist and sex tourism – and how this can help boost Mannheim's local economy.
He gained plenty of attention – and pushback from fellow councillors – when a story of his unconventional idea appeared in the local Mannheim Official Gazette in May.
It was accompanied by a naked photo of Ferrat on the beach with just a sign covering his genitals.
The headline read – 'Political Education Trip to Cap d'Agde', translating to – Political education trip to Cap d'Agde.
Julien Ferrat said the eight-day trip to swinger hotspot, Cap d'Agde, in the south of France, is to investigate how it became a global hub in nudist and sex tourism – and how this can help boost Mannheim's local economy.
'The naturist village in Cap d'Agde is considered a mecca for nudists and swingers,' the 33-year-old said in the article.
'What few people know: Without government support for tourism (…) this place would never have been created.'
He has called for 'curious and open-minded citizens' to accompany him on the trip which will involve a training camp, to ensure no participant heads into the resort 'unprepared'.
The training camp, according to the Daily Mail, involves outdoor sex on the Friesenheimer Insel in Mannheim.
He stressed the training camp will 'exclude the media' to protect the participants' privacy.
'In Cap d'Agde, sex on the beach is taken literally. And anyone who's always wanted to shop naked in the supermarket can easily indulge that desire there,' he said.
'Having sex in your own bedroom is different than on the beach with a group of masturbating men like in Cap d'Agde.'
He said a 'great deal can be learned' from the project village, which is now a leading naturist resort on the Mediterranean coast with professional swinger clubs and privately-run nude restaurants, bars, and a beach, the Daily Mail reported.
He plans to have discussions with the tourist office and local business owners, including hotel operators.
As of May 16, 75 people expressed interest in the unique holiday, with 22 people – including 14 men and eight women – confirming their place.
However, not everyone has expressed their support with one councillor calling it 'embarrassing' and 'idiotic'.
Ferrat gained plenty of attention when a story of his unconventional idea appeared in the local Mannheim Official Gazette in May.
Julien Ferrat/Facebook
'I find this call idiotic because I believe it actually harms politics,' Christian Hötting, CDU district chairman in Mannheim and city councillor, told local publication, SWR Aktuell.
'I don't see anything sensible in it that will move the city, or the people of this city, forward. 'It's just a bit embarrassing.'
Ferrat retaliated, saying, 'Nobody is forced to go there. Anyone who is bothered by it should simply put the article down.'
According to the publication, the city administration is reluctant to comment on the article. 'The official gazette, as the municipality's official publication, is subject to special partisan neutrality,' a spokesperson for the council said, according to the publication.
It added, that members of the municipal council write their articles on their own responsibility.
It's not the first time councillor Ferrat has stripped naked. Last year, he published an introduction to himself in the official gazette alongside a photo of himself naked with his hands covering his genitals.
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