Overview
- Parliamentary commissions of the National Assembly and the Senate validated François‑Noël Buffet's nomination by 43 votes to 39, a result announced after his Senate hearing on Tuesday, July 21.
- More than fifty NGOs and unions and public petitions reported at roughly 150,000 signatures mobilized against the choice, and activists staged protests at the Jardin du Luxembourg the morning of the vote.
- Critics point to Buffet's past positions: he opposed the 2013 law on same-sex marriage, voted against extending access to procréation médicalement assistée, advocated reform or cuts to Aide médicale d'État for undocumented migrants, and abstained on putting abortion into the Constitution.
- Buffet told parliament he has "évolué" on several issues and pledged to exercise "total independence" in the role, a stance his supporters cite while opponents say the record undermines trust.
- The Défenseur des droits is a constitutionally recognized independent authority that handles discrimination and administrative complaints; its caseload rose sharply under Claire Hédon and observers say the new leadership could affect how quickly and aggressively cases for migrants, LGBT people, and other vulnerable groups are handled, with the three‑fifths blocking rule (about 50 negative votes) having prevented the nomination from being rejected.