French culture Minister, Fleur Pellerin, admitted to the fact that her tight schedule does currently not allow her to read literature. This was seen as a scandal by some, especially in the light that this year’s Literature Nobel Prize went to Patrick Modiano, a french national.

Writing for the French version of the ‘Huffington Post’, Claude Askolovitch called Pellerin’s lack of reading ‘barbaric’ and called for her to resign. Which goes to show that you don’t need religion to be a pompous, self-important jerk. Of course reading is important to Askolovitch – he’s a writer. But Fleur Pellerin’s job is not to read, it’s her job to manage an entire nation’s culture policy. Calling her ‘barbaric’ because she hasn’t read a particular book lately and demanding she step down is like requesting the minister of Transportation to resign because she hasn’t driven a truck lately.

Plus, another trait in Pellerin struck me as noteworthy: there are lots of people who pretend they have read Modiano. Fleur Pellerin, when put on the spot, did not try to weasel out of an uncomfortable situation. She knew that her answer was going to be somewhat embarrassing (a staffer could have prepped her), yet she unflinchingly told the truth.

That’s called having a spine, and – in politics – is almost as rare as real unicorn tears. Not having read a particular author, no matter how important, is not something to be ashamed of. Especially if you are running the country.