In 1999, Casta came out first of a national survey ordered by the Association des Maires de France to decide who should be the new model for the bust of Marianne, an allegorical symbol of the French Republic, which stands inside every French town hall. Casta succeeded model Inès de la Fressange Marianne's embodiements are changed frequently but each mayor chooses which bust he wants for his town, so past Mariannes can be used. Polls have shown that Casta, Brigitte Bardot and Catherine Deneuve were the most popular among French mayors. Casta became the focus of a minor controversy when, shortly after being selected to be Marianne, she relocated to London. Although she stated her move was motivated by professional reasons, the magazine Le Point, among others, suggested that she was trying to escape taxes, something for which French celebrities are often criticized by journalists and left-wing politicians .
