Petition against the Duplomb law: Faced with unprecedented citizen mobilization, the presidential camp is walking on eggshells
Gabriel Attal delivers a speech on ecology during a press conference on July 21, 2025, in Paris. JEANNE ACCORSINI/SIPA
This is an unprecedented citizen mobilization, launched by a student on the National Assembly website , to denounce this law which notably provides for the reintroduction by way of derogation of acetamiprid, a pesticide from the neonicotinoid family. And in about ten days, the petition against the Duplomb law catalyzing this opposition has collected more than 1.5 million signatures. But, in response, the presidential camp is walking on eggshells.
Under pressure, the Minister of Agriculture only responded on Monday evening that the government was "fully available" for a debate in Parliament - that is, the possible outcome once the threshold of 500,000 signatures is collected, but whose scope would nevertheless remain very limited. "The organization of a debate is now in the hands of the National Assembly. The Government is of course fully available to it," Annie Genevard reacted on the social network X.
Even before it was expressed, there was little doubt that a debate would take place. Many political leaders had spoken in favor, including those in support of the text, starting with the President of the Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet (Renaissance) , the leader of the MoDem deputies, Marc Fesneau, and Marine Le Pen, who considered that "only a democratic debate" could restore "the confidence" of citizens.
"Discomfort among some French people"The presidential camp is currently seeking the right formula to take into account the petition's success without calling into question the law passed in Parliament. Gabriel Attal thus expressed his hope on Monday that the government would refer the matter to the French National Agency for Food Safety (ANSES) so that it could give its opinion on the text. "My hope is that this debate can be guided above all by science," said the former Prime Minister and leader of the presidential Renaissance party.
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The success of the petition "clearly shows that there is unease among some French people" and "it's very good if this debate can be held at the start of the parliamentary term," he added during a press conference on his party's proposals on ecology and the economy. However, Gabriel Attal, who voted for the Duplomb law , warned of the need to maintain "quality" agriculture.
Towards a new bill?Similarly, the Minister for Ecological Transition supported the idea of "calling on" the health safety agency ANSES. She is in favor of "referring to our scientific authorities in order to answer their questions and to allow us to move away from political positions in one direction or the other. Science is not intended to replace politics, but it can usefully inform it," Agnès Pannier-Runacher emphasized in a message sent to the press.
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