Who could possibly have drawn crowds in the aisles of the Paris International Agricultural Show, blocking the way behind a swarm of cameras? « There are more people here than for [ex-president François] Hollande, » said a teenage girl, amid the onlookers who had come to taste the local products from the northern Hauts-de-France region, curious to know who it was. « Maybe it’s Marine Le Pen, » she said, as the far-right party leader was expected that Wednesday morning at the Paris fair. « It’s Miss France! » she exclaimed, recognizing Eve Gilles from behind, with her pixie haircut and slender figure.
She was accompanied by the president of the Hauts-de-France region, Xavier Bertrand, whom the teenager didn’t notice. « I know you only have eyes for me and elected representatives, » the politician quipped a little later, aware of his lack of fame when compared to such a popular figure. Gilles, 20 – who was Miss Nord-Pas-de-Calais (northern France) before she was crowned Miss France – embraced her role as regional ambassador that day. Wearing her signature sash, dressed in red pants, a black turtleneck and blazer, and boots that elevated her above her 1.70-meter height, she moved swiftly from stand to stand, alongside the region’s president.
Maroilles cheese-flavored ice cream, charcuterie, confectionery, etc. Although it was barely 11 am, she was already politely taking part in the « taste everything » game – exactly like all the politicians who strolled through the show. This Dunkirk native laughed at her own regional « chauvinism, » repeating how much she loved maroilles above all else. Comfortable with this exercise – though less talkative than Bertrand – she kept her eye on the cameras, and displayed a permanent smile. Could it be that she’s just another elected representative?
Popular, apolitical figure
Wearing a sash adorned with the French cocarde, she, too, was chosen and voted in by the people – and her visit to the show seemed like a popular triumph that would make many jealous. Exhibitors and visitors, who were often surprised to see her there, were delighted to take selfies with the « new Miss France. » What a symbol! The same went for the local councilors present at the inauguration of her region’s stand, and even France’s agriculture junior minister, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, who came to greet her. A few indifferent people passed by.
« Eve has generated a real buzz since her election, which is not the case for all the Misses in just a few weeks. But this year, the show broke a new viewership record, with a peak of 9 million viewers, and she’s also received particularly strong exposure because she breaks the codes » of the conservative, century-old pageant, said Frédéric Gilbert, who also produces the show, as she is the first Miss France with a short hairstyle to have been elected.
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