Human Rights Defender: François-Noël Buffet awaits parliamentary vote

The appointment of François-Noël Buffet as Defender of Rights is to be decided this Tuesday by the law committees of the National Assembly and the Senate. He was nominated by the president. Emmanuel Macron To succeed Claire Hédon, whose six-year term is coming to an end, the Republican senator has the support of the right-wing and center groups, which hold a majority in the Senate.

Her hearing before the senators follows the one held last week in the National Assembly. The results of the votes in both chambers are expected later today. For her candidacy to be rejected, it would need to secure a qualified majority of opposition members of parliament, a scenario considered unlikely.

A fiercely contested candidacy

The appointment of François-Noël Buffet, however, has sparked strong opposition from numerous associations and labor unions. Around twenty of them, including Aides, Sidaction, SOS Racisme, Act Up-Paris, and Inter-LGBT, organized a rally in front of the Senate to denounce a choice they deem incompatible with the mission of defending rights and freedoms. They criticize the former minister in particular for several past positions on same-sex marriage, medically assisted reproduction, state medical aid, and his abstention during the vote on enshrining abortion in the Constitution.

In response to these criticisms, François-Noël Buffet asserted during his hearing before parliament that he had "evolved" on several social issues and promised to carry out his duties "with complete independence" if confirmed. For their part, several members of the government pointed out that an official's political leanings do not prejudge their actions at the head of this independent authority, citing in particular the example of Jacques Toubon, a former right-wing minister who became the Defender of Rights.