Petition against the Duplomb law: 4 reasons for unprecedented success

The LR senator who initiated the bill denounced pressure from the far left and environmentalists. But the record number of signatories clearly shows that this law addresses concerns widely shared by the French, going beyond mere political opposition.

By Pia Carron

Published on July 21, 2025 at 8:00 p.m.

Cancer patients and their loved ones during the demonstration against the Duplomb law, in front of the National Assembly, in Paris, on July 8, 2025, the day of the final vote on the text. BABETH ALOY/HANS LUCAS VIA AFP

Google News Subscribe to read

More than 1.4 million signatures collected at 7 p.m. this Monday, July 21: in eleven days, the initiative calling for the repeal of the Duplomb law has become the largest citizen mobilization on the National Assembly website where it has been possible to submit petitions since 2019. Published on July 10, two days after the final vote in the National Assembly on the law criticized for its environmental impact, the text written by a 23-year-old master's student in Bordeaux denounces a "scientific, ethical, environmental and health aberration" and a "frontal attack on public health" , in reference to the reintroduction, without delay and under conditions, of acetamiprid , a pesticide from the neonicotinoid family banned in France since 2018 but authorized in Europe until 2033. After circulating for a few days on social networks, the petition reached a first record on Saturday, July 19, by exceeding the 500 mark. 000 signatures , which makes a discussion on the merits of this law possible in the Chamber – this does not mean that the text would be re-examined on its merits, let alone repealed, but holding such a debate in public session would be a first under the ^Fifth Republic. The very next day, the million signature mark was reached, testifying to a truly remarkable collective surge for a July weekend.

How can such a tidal wave be explained? Laurent Duplomb , a Republican (LR) senator for Haute-Loire and a farmer who initiated the law, criticized a petition that was "exploited by the far left and environmentalists" on RMC radio this Monday. The initiative has certainly been relayed by many environmental activists, such as activist Camille Etienne . But it has also found an echo among some lifestyle YouTubers as well as...