Magistrate's petition on acetamiprid's damage to bees dashes French farmers' expectations
In France, a student-initiated petition against the pesticide acetamiprid, which is allegedly harmful to bees, has sparked a social movement, and some people believe it may be a sign of growing disenchantment with the political establishment. When in fact it is farmers who would be most affected in this situation.
On 10 July, a 23-year-old postgraduate student registered a petition calling on the French authorities to repeal the law allowing the insecticide acetamiprid to be used again.
Acetamiprid was banned in France in 2018, but its use has been allowed to continue in other European Union countries, including Lithuania. Those in favour say it helps French farmers stay competitive.
However, many French people support the petition, with university professors, actors, left-wing MPs and famous chefs voicing their support.
As of Thursday afternoon, 1.9 million people had signed the petition.
The legislation reauthorising the use of acetamiprid has been nicknamed the Duplomb law, after the far-right Republican senator Laurent Duplomb who proposed it.
The law was adopted on 8 July, but without a proper debate to avoid a deadlock in a deeply divided parliament.
Petitioners are calling on French President Emmanuel Macron not to sign the law. The petition says the law is an "attack on public health".
The signatories say their dissatisfaction is not just about the environment. Such support is also seen as an expression of frustration that no party has a majority in the National Assembly, the lower house of the French Parliament. People also want their voice to be heard more in political matters. It is true that it is forgotten that this is about food production, a basic human need.
If a petition posted on the French National Assembly's website is signed by 500,000 people, Parliament can hold a public debate on the issue it raises.
Although it is unlikely that the law would be changed at this stage, the government is facing increasing pressure to respond.
Several left-wing parties and environmental associations are calling on Mr Macron to insist that the law be reconsidered by Parliament.
On Wednesday, Macron said he would await the decision of the Constitutional Council, which is due to declare on 10 August whether the law is legal.
