The mayor of a French town called for not kissing when meeting, but shaking hands
As reported by BBC, the official sent letters to her colleagues – heads of other towns in the Grenoble district in eastern France – in which she asked them to refrain from greeting kisses. From Picard-Wolff's point of view, France is ready to move to an updated norm of etiquette and return to a more neutral handshake.
In her letter, the mayor announced that she herself would now avoid kisses at business meetings. She also admitted that for many months she had deliberately been late for meetings to avoid kissing her 73 colleagues.
"I've had enough of kissing dozens of people. I hope my decision will make people think once again that everyone has the right to decide for themselves whether to kiss when meeting or not – no matter whether they hold an official post, are at a work meeting or in any other situation," wrote Picard-Wolff.
She also stated that she had always considered the French tradition of kissing barely acquainted people strange and wrong. In her opinion, "la bise" is another form of discrimination against women. "Men do not kiss when meeting, unless they are close friends. It's a small thing, but we encounter it every day, so it raises the issue of gender equality," the mayor's letter said.
Picard-Wolff's message sparked a lively public debate. Many women supported the politician and said they would also prefer to replace "la bise" with a handshake. According to Picard-Wolff, she also received many letters from men. They admitted that they too are often unsure whether a woman will correctly perceive an attempt to kiss her on the cheek when greeting.