Is beauty an asset in politics?

Audio 48:30

President John F. Kennedy in an undated photo.

REUTERS/JFK Presidential Library and Museum

By: Emmanuelle Bastide

1 min

On television, in meetings, on social networks, campaign posters... A few months before the presidential election in France, the faces and bodies of the candidates will soon be everywhere. 

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If certain politicians like to remind that an election is not a beauty contest, it is hard to believe, at the time of the “peopolization” of political life and the cult of beauty, that the candidates will not pay attention to their appearance.

According to a Finnish study, the most attractive candidates benefit from an added value of 17% in municipal elections and 20% in parliamentary elections.

Cosmetic surgery, slimming diet, choice of dress or heel pads... the embellishment strategies of politicians are ultimately not so anecdotal.

At the time of the vote, how much does appearance weigh on political ideas?

How do the candidates take up this question that they pretend to ignore?  

beauty in politics

With :

François Hourmant

, professor of political science at the

.

Author of 

Sophie Lemahieu

, fashion historian and fashion history teacher at the

.

Author of 

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• Society

• French politics