Agnès Ledig returns her Legion of Honour to denounce environmental policies

Novelist Agnès Ledig has announced that she is renouncing her Legion of Honour, which she received in 2023, in protest against what she considers a lack of action by public authorities in the face of the climate emergency and health challenges. In an open letter addressed to the President of the Republic and published on social media, the author explains that this distinction has become "too heavy a burden to bear" in light of environmental disasters, health scandals, and political decisions that she deems inadequate.

Living in the Vosges mountains, where she now raises goats and produces cheese, Agnès Ledig states that she is speaking as a mother, former midwife, and farmer. She explains that the recent adoption of the emergency agricultural law, which once again authorizes the use of certain pesticides, triggered her decision. According to her, this measure illustrates a disconnect between political leaders and environmental and health concerns.

A stance focused on health and the environment

In her letter, the novelist particularly highlights the issue of childhood cancers, recalling the loss of her son to leukemia. She denounces the presence of numerous chemical substances, notably pesticides, in the environment and believes that the warnings of scientists, doctors, and biodiversity specialists are not sufficiently taken into account in public policy decisions.

Agnès Ledig also criticizes several recent directions in environmental policy, particularly water resource management, forest protection, wetland preservation, and support for certain agricultural models. She states that she no longer wishes to be associated with an award she shares with individuals whose activities she believes contradict the values ​​she upholds. Her letter has been sent to the Élysée Palace, where she says she is awaiting a response, while continuing her commitment to protecting biodiversity.