THE LARGEST FRENCH PETITION EVER GOT OVER 1,5 M SIGNATURES AGAINST DUPLOMB LAW

USPA NEWS - On 8 July 2025, the National Assembly passed the Duplomb bill, sponsored by Senators Laurent Duplomb (LR, THE REPUBLICANS) and Franck Menonville (UDI ), with 316 votes in favor and 223 against. The Senate had earlier approved it by a 70% majority. A conditional reintroduction of the neonicotinoid acetamiprid (banned since 2018 in France but still permitted elsewhere in the EU). Regulatory easing for large livestock facilities and irrigation reservoirs ("megabassines"). Supporters, including the FNSEA, (Largest French Agriculture Union) argue these levels the playing field with EU peers and protects crops like sugar beet from pests. It all started when a petition titled “No to the Duplomb Law – For Health, Safety, Collective Intelligence” was launched on 10 July 2025 by 23 year old environmental master's student Eleonore?Pattery, reaching an unprecedented civic wave, by collecting over 1,5 Million signatures against Duplomb Law. This petition is about to become historical in the civic duality coalition against a law in France. In fact, by 18 July, it had already exceeded 200,000 signatures, then on 19 July, it crossed 500,000 signatures, triggering a potential parliamentary debate.

THE LARGEST FRENCH PETITION EVER GOT OVER 1,5 MILLION AGAINST DUPLOMB LAW IN 5TH REPUBLIC HISTORY
LEGISLATIVE VOTE & AGRICULTURAL STAKES
. It all started when a petition titled “No to the Duplomb Law – For Health, Safety, Collective Intelligence” was launched on 10 July 2025 by 23 year old environmental master's student Eleonore?Pattery, reaching an unprecedented civic wave, by collecting over 1,5 Million signatures against Duplomb Law. This petition is about to become historical in the civic duality coalition against a law in France. In fact, by 18 July, it had already exceeded 200,000 signatures, then on 19 July, it crossed 500,000 signatures, triggering a potential parliamentary debate. The speed of the signature grew up so rapidly that by 20 July, it reached 1 million signatures, the first petition ever in the Fifth Republic to do so. Within three days, it surged to 1.5 million signatures, setting a new record.
According to the Assembly’s petition portal, this is: “An unprecedented citizen mobilization in the history of the Fifth Republic”.

The speed of the signature grew up so rapidly that by 20 July, it reached 1 million signatures, the first petition ever in the Fifth Republic to do so. Within three days, it surged to 1.5 million signatures, setting a new record.
According to the Assembly’s petition portal, this is: “An unprecedented citizen mobilization in the history of the Fifth Republic”. The petition overcame significant technical obstacles to reach over 1 million signatures, further building on the record-breaking 500,000 collected within days, surpassing the previous top petition (264,000 signatures on the BRAV M dissolution).

It underscores the massive societal rejection of this law. The statement outlines why the law faces such public wrath, not only It reintroduces neonicotinoid pesticides (e.g. acetamiprid), harmful to bees and biodiversity, but it also facilitates control over water resources by large farm and enables the development of megafarms, clashing with sustainable agriculture. However, critics argue the law was pushed through with no proper democratic debate or opportunities for parliamentary amendment.

CIVIL SOCIETY GOALS & INSTITUTIONAL LEVERAGE
According to a few Environmental NGO Générations Futures urged French citizens to press on toward 1.5 million signatures to amplify the movement’s impact. Their spokesperson François Veillerette called the petition a "tidal wave" against governmental environmental. The statement pleads directly to French President Macron, urging him to: Refuse to promulgate the Duplomb law. His feed-back is highly expected, while the French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said he’ll look a t the case. This Launches a nationwide debate involving farmers, health professionals, ecologists, and citizens, to redefine sustainable agriculture rollbacks and tense oppositions, while the most population is on vacation and spread all over France enjoying their hot holidays (Sources: the Guardian, Public Senate TV Channel, L’Essentiel, Eco1)

PUBLIC & SCIENTIFIC OUTRAGE
• NGOs like Greenpeace, POLLINIS, WWF France, and Generations Futures denounce the law as “poison legislation”, succumbing to agro-industrial lobbying over scientific and ecological interests
• Scientists, apiarists, medical associations, and cancer organizations cite serious risks to bees, human health, particularly neurological effects, and ecosystem stability, with cancer campaigner Fleur Breteau decrying lawmakers as "allies of cancer."

NEW STEPS IN THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS
• A Constitutional Council review is expected by 10 August 2025 amidst challenges from left-wing deputies citing procedural flaws and environmental constitutional violation
• If upheld, the petition will lead to a parliamentary debate in September 2025, though the law itself won’t be revoked through this process Sources ( TF1, Info, French Senate, Capitale Agglopolics, Generations Futures)

Let’s reacap some events, and timeline, over Dulomb’s bill
Date Event
8 July 2025 Duplomb law passed: 316–223 vote in Assembly
10 July 2025 Petition launched by E. Pattery
18 July 200,000+ signatures
19 July 500,000+ (debate threshold)
20 July 1 million+ signatures (historic record)
21 July 1.5 million+ signatures
Constitutional review due by 10 August
Parliamentary debate expected in September

The Duplomb law exemplifies a deep clash between agricultural policy and environmental health, with practices, such as pesticide use and large-scale farming, coming under scrutiny.
The record-breaking petition signals a powerful resurgence of citizen-led democratic expression in France’s Fifth Republic. The forthcoming Constitutional review and parliamentary debate will critically test whether France balances economic interests with its environmental commitments and public health.

It is up now to either the French President Macron, the executive in chief to decide whether the petition matters, or if the French Prime Minister would grant the civil society to win against the bill already voted at the French Parliament, or the third option that could be left to the French Constitutional Council, to take the final decision over this petition diving the government into a political turmoil during a very already tense period....To be continued