The National Assembly held an unprecedented debate on February 11 about a petition exceeding 2.1 million signatures on the Duplomb law, without achieving reconciliation on agriculture's future. President Yaël Braun-Pivet oversaw the session and promised a review of this format. Divisions remain between advocates for equal-footing production and supporters of agroecological transition.
The Duplomb law aims to lift certain constraints on farmers to allow them to practice their profession more freely. In the previous May, a majority of deputies had preliminarily rejected the text, sending it directly to the joint committee without debate in the chamber. Seven months after the launch of a petition that gathered over 2.1 million signatures—a record for an authenticated initiative on the Assembly's website—a dedicated session was held on February 11.
Yaël Braun-Pivet, President of the National Assembly, personally led this first implementation of a procedure linking civil society to national representation. “This is the first time this procedure has been applied, which establishes a bridge between civil society and national representation,” she stated. “This dialogue must obviously continue beyond this afternoon's session.” She committed to a review of this unprecedented format.
Nevertheless, the debate did not outline any compromise. On one side, some advocate for a productive agricultural model aligned with European neighbors' practices, even if it means rolling back certain environmental rules. On the other, supporters of the agroecological transition emphasize responses to climate challenges, resource preservation, and maintaining agricultural incomes. The chamber, though sparsely attended, revealed deep divisions on the model to promote for French agriculture.
