French politics to come out of Shadows on silver screen

Paris: A novel co-written by France’s new Prime Minister Edouard Philippe is to be made into a film, his publisher said on Monday.

In the Shadows, a political thriller set during the final days of a neck-and-neck French presidential election, is being adapted for the screen by one of the country’s best-loved actors, Guillaume Gallienne, according to reports. “It has been optioned to be adapted and the project has been launched,” Philippe’s publishers JC Lattes said.

But they refused to divulge any other details of the screen version of the 2011 potboiler.

The book, which Mr Philippe wrote with fellow right-wing political insider Gilles Boyer, caused a minor stir because of the sexism of its principal character.

Male chauvinism in the French political establishment has become a hotbutton issue after incidents in which female MPs claimed to have been groped, whistled at or subject to sexist comments in Parliament.

Critics also wondered if the character’s lusting after his party’s busty spin doctor might be indicative of the prime minister’s own sublimated desires.

Mr Boyer, who wrote another thriller The Hour of Truth with Philippe in 2007, is set to join the prime minister’s office as an advisor next month. Mr Philippe, is mayor of the English Channel port of Le Havre and member of Republicans party.