Women's rights and gender equality must be substantially funded, both nationally and through feminist diplomacy. Under no circumstances should they be exploited for anti-immigration policies. Following Michel Barnier's appointment, Equipop will ensure that the commitments made by previous governments are upheld.
On July 7, the New Popular Front coalition came out on top in the early legislative elections. For several weeks, Emmanuel Macron held consultations, at the end of which only men's names were mentioned for the position of prime minister. The two female candidates—Laurence Tubiana and Lucie Castets—were rejected by the president. On September 6, Emmanuel Macron chose to appoint Michel Barnier, from the Les Républicains (LR) party, which came in fourth place with only 7% of the vote, as prime minister. Michel Barnier comes from a conservative political party, particularly on issues related to sexual and reproductive rights and health, such as the right to abortion (as evidenced by the amendments tabled by LR senators against the constitutionalization of abortion) and the rights of LGBTQIA+ people (Michel Barnier himself opposed the decriminalization of homosexuality in 1981). When he was a candidate in the LR primary in 2022, Mr. Barnier put forward ideas and measures close to those of the far right, proposing, for example, a referendum and a moratorium on immigration, and questioning the legitimacy of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). At the European level, the EPP group, to which LR members of parliament belong, has no clear position on women's rights and regularly abstains from or even opposes legislation aimed at advancing gender equality. This appointment raises doubts about the place women's rights will occupy in the future government, both in terms of France's domestic policy and its foreign policy. Furthermore, the Barnier government can only be formed because the RN has announced that it will not censor it a priori, and it will only hold on this condition. Successive governments during Emmanuel Macron's five-year terms have made women's rights a major communication issue. Previous commitments on gender equality and feminist diplomacy must, at the very least, be maintained and implemented. Equipop will be paying close attention to the composition of the next government, its political orientations, and the budget that is expected to be voted on by the end of the year. We call on parliamentarians to fully play their role in monitoring and leading democratic debate during future deadlines (presentation of general policy, adoption of the budget, etc.). Equipop will also be vigilant in ensuring that women's rights are not exploited. French feminist diplomacy must not be buried or misused to serve an anti-immigration agenda.
