Macron defends former minister now lobbying for Shein
Emmanuel Macron found himself facing his own contradictions on Tuesday, June 10, during the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice. In an interview of more than two hours on France 2, the president tried to defend his environmental record, but was challenged when the case of one of his close allies, Christophe Castaner, was raised. The former interior minister was recently hired by Shein, a company criticized in debates about fast fashion. "What you're doing is kind of lame," Macron snapped back, accusing the journalist Hugo Clément of wanting to "pillory" Castaner.
While Macron highlighted a "45% increase over 15 years" in clothing consumption in France and called on the French to adopt "responsible behavior" because "we all have a role to play" in the fight against climate change, Clément pressed him about "the responsibility of politicians" and, more specifically, about Castaner.
The former minister (2017-2020), 59, was recruited in 2024 by Shein as a strategic adviser, among other high-profile figures, to lead lobbying efforts on behalf of the brand in France at a time when Parliament is debating a bill aimed at curbing the rise of fast fashion, which threatens Shein's interests. "He is now a free man," Macron said in his defense, adding that he had not discussed the situation with Castaner. "It's his life, not mine," Macron shrugged off. "Just because he's at Shein doesn't mean that will change anything about the matter."
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