The opening of the first Shein store in the BHV department store in Paris, amidst the controversy surrounding the sale of child-like sex dolls, sparked a political and media firestorm. In this context, a tense exchange took place on X between Jean-Philippe Tanguy, a National Rally MP and the party's budget spokesperson, and Eugénie Bastié, a journalist with Le Figaro. Tanguy accused the government of simply taxing parcels to "fill the state coffers" without any real strategy to protect French textile production.
Purchasing power versus the cost of protectionism
Eugénie Bastié countered that one cannot simultaneously defend massive tariff barriers and low prices for consumers. For her, relocating production implies higher costs, and the debate must acknowledge this reality. Tanguy, for his part, refuses to blame low-income families for fast fashion, arguing that they are simply victims of an economic system that forces them to buy the cheapest options.
The discussion became even more heated when Bastié pointed out that Shein's target is not essential purchases but impulsive and disposable consumption, while Tanguy denounced the "comfortable margins" of certain globalized players whom he accuses of benefiting from a deregulated market.
