SerpApi.Org
Emmanuel Macron has faced a backlash after appointing a senator opposed to gay marriage and abortion as France’s new human rights ombudsman.
François-Noël Buffet was narrowly voted to become France’s defender of rights by the National Assembly and Senate on Tuesday, after being nominated by the president.
The appointment of the Right-wing senator has been met with outrage by the human rights office’s staff and around 60 human rights groups and charities, French media reported.
Andy Kerbrat, MP for the Left-wing France Unbowed (LFI), said Mr Buffet had a history of “racist and homophobic votes”, while the Socialist party called the appointment a “scandal”.
Mr Buffet previously campaigned against same-sex marriage and expressed opposition to reproductive and migrant rights.
In 2021, the 64-year-old opposed legislation allowing medically assisted reproduction of single women and lesbian couples.
He took part in protests against gay marriage in 2013 and abstained during a vote two years ago that enshrined the right to abortion in the French constitution.
An ally of Bruno Retailleau, the hardline former interior minister, Mr Buffet has also expressed support for reducing state-funded medical care for undocumented migrants.
Staff at the office of the defender of rights have stated their “dismay” and “shock” at Mr Macron’s selection, which was quietly announced on July 7.
Workers told French investigative outlet Mediapart that they could not believe a politician “whose recent views are so starkly at odds with the institution’s recommendations” was considered for the role by the president.
Last week, Left-wing MPs accused Mr Buffet of having a history of “racist and homophobic votes” during an explosive hearing before the national assembly’s legal affairs committee.
“If you are given this new role, will it magically erase your convictions and give you the strength to defend tomorrow what you fought against yesterday?” asked Hervé Saulignac, a Socialist MP and rapporteur.
Mr Buffet said he had “evolved” his views on certain issues and promised to remain independent.
“I did something stupid; I had my doubts about the consequences, but not about the principle itself,” he said of his opposition to the 2013 same-sex marriage bill.
But, as France24 noted, Mr Buffet proceeded to sign a charter the next year pledging to “preserve the father-mother-child family unit”.
Mr Buffet pledged to carry out his duties with impartiality and said he wanted to protect the fundamental rights of every citizen.
The rights ombudsman is not a role that holds judicial or legislative power, but it does carry considerable influence in lawmaking and addressing discrimination.
Inter-LGBT, an advocacy group defending gay rights, said in a statement it was “appalled” by Mr Macron’s appointment and accused the move of being “political manoeuvring”.
“This senator’s background and his previous positions against same-sex marriage, medically assisted reproduction for all women, migrants and Roma people, and the constitutionalisation of abortion undermine the credibility of the Defender of Rights and contribute to destroying the French people’s trust in our institutions,” the group said.
“This is yet another example of the contempt the Élysée Palace holds for LGBTQIA+ people and the non-profit sector in general.”
A petition opposing Mr Buffet’s appointment has gathered more than 100,000 signatures, while charities including Oxfam France have denounced the move.
The Telegraph has contacted Mr Macron’s office for comment.
