Overview
- François-Noël Buffet was auditioned by the National Assembly commission on Wednesday, July 15, where he vowed “total independence” and said he had “evolved” on some social questions.
- Roughly sixty associations and unions, including Greenpeace France, Médecins du Monde, Oxfam France, SOS Racisme, Le Planning Familial and Inter-LGBT, have publicly opposed his nomination as contrary to fundamental-rights duties.
- Critics and several deputies pointed to a record of conservative positions: participation in 2013 protests against same-sex marriage, signing the Manif pour tous charter in 2014, opposing PMA extension in 2021, and voting against constitutionalizing abortion in 2024.
- Parliamentary procedure continues: the commission’s vote will be published after the audition and the Senate is due to confirm or reject Buffet on July 21, with reports of a Senate–Élysée deal publicly denied.
- The post of Défenseur des droits is a constitutionally independent watchdog that fights discrimination and oversees police ethics, so who holds it can shape rights oversight and public trust in institutions.