French Mayor Caroline Cayeux has had to apologize for misleading local residents with a prank message. She tweeted on April 1st that Ikea was going to open a store in the town, bringing 4,000 jobs and more convenient shopping opportunities for the locals. She didn’t forget to give herself credit for the imaginary achievement, stating “I fought for the many advantages of Beauvais and we won the battle! I am delighted.”
IKEA s’installera bientôt à #Beauvais dans la zone Novaparc! C’est une excellente nouvelle pour le dynamisme et l’emploi à Beauvais et dans le Beauvaisis! C’est l’aboutissement d’une longue lutte avec d’autres villes du Nord de la France! Je me suis battue et je m’en félicite! pic.twitter.com/NRSgViPZy1
— Caroline Cayeux (@carolinecayeux) 1 апреля 2018 г.
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Although the mayor revealed in the commentary section that the news was a prank right after the unfortunate Tweet and published a retraction several hours later, the incident spark outrage in social media. The users trashed Cayeux for what many perceived as her poor taste in humor and tone-defness as many of her fellow residents are unemployed.
Quelle bonne blague! Je pars dans une semaine de ma ville car impossible de trouver un job ici… 😔😢
— Xavier L (@LefXav) 1 апреля 2018 г.
What a joke! I’m leaving my city in a week because it’s impossible to find a job here…
Une pensée émue pour les Beauvaisiennes et Beauvaisiens qui ont une maire à peu près aussi drôle et intelligente qu'un poulpe mort.
— Richard. z 🇫🇷 (@koulio002) 3 апреля 2018 г.
Un poisson d'avril bien merdique quand même non?!
My condolences to the locals of Beauvais, who have a mayor who is as funny and intelligent as a dead octopus.
Citizen: It made me sad that your joke made me hopeful for a job since I can't find work.
— Cait (@AbigailE5) 3 апреля 2018 г.
Mayor: Aw:(
Citizen: Thanks…?
Stupid
— Ray Katout (@RKatout) 3 апреля 2018 г.
Wow, and this is a decision maker of you city, tell him how you really feel at the next election vote
— Brian J Sommerville (@bjsommerville) 3 апреля 2018 г.
Considering the lack of jobs in France! Looks like the 🎣 joke might backfire on her next election!
— Dolly (@Champenoise46) 3 апреля 2018 г.
However, the mayor deleted neither the original message, which she referred to as a “communication error”, nor the negative comments, instead replying to outraged users. Later she had to apologized on her Facebook page, saying she regrets making the announcement, which was painful for some people. She stated that she respected those looking for jobs too much to make them a laughing matter. The mayor claimed that she wanted to attract potential investors like Ikea with the unfortunate Tweet.
Later she also said to the outlet Parisien, that the joke “was not mean, it was mostly a nod to Ikea that we would like to see it happen in Beauvais. Except that many Beauvaisians have seen a promise of employment, and have not really appreciated the joke.” She also promised do better next year.
