Gabriel Attal demands guarantees on “PMA, the right to abortion, LGBT rights”

The former Prime Minister expressed his concerns about the presence, in the government announced on Saturday evening, of ministers who opposed texts symbolizing the progression of rights for all.

“You can imagine how much this hurts me personally and how much it hurts our political identity.” During a meeting with his troops, Gabriel Attal, leader of the Together for the Republic deputies, declared on Sunday 22 September that he wanted to ask Michel Barnier for guarantees on “PMA, the right to abortion, LGBT rights”, Franceinfo learned from participants. He wants this to be confirmed “clearly” during the general policy statement of his successor at Matignon.

The former Prime Minister announced of his concerns regarding the presence within the government of ministers who opposed to texts symbolizing the progression of rights for all. In particular, the arrival at the Ministry of the Interior of LR Bruno Retailleau who had demonstrated against marriage for all at the beginning of Hollande’s five-year term. Recently, he was also opposed to the inclusion of abortion in the Constitution. “This is a debate that came from the United States, and American debates do not have to be imported into the national territory”he justified on franceinfo in October.

The entry into government, as Secretary of State for Consumer Affairs, of Les Républicains senator Laurence Garnier, also raises concern. Opposed to same-sex marriage and the constitutionalization of abortion, she refused in 2021 the creation of an offense punishing conversion therapies, in other words practices that aim to impose heterosexuality on LGBT people.

Patrick Hetzel, appointed to Higher Education, is equally criticized for his conservative positions. In particular, he spoke out against medically assisted procreation for female couples and single women. Finally, among other examples of ministers who are causing a stir, the new Secretary of State for Citizenship and the Fight against Discrimination, Othman Nasrou, has also opposed marriage for all.

It’s the government “the most right-wing of the Fifth Republic”, Olivier Faure estimated, in the program “Sunday in politics” on France 3. A motion against the government of Michel Barnier will be defended after his general policy statement, confirmed the First Secretary of the PS.

On the side of the associations, there is also fear of a drift. On the social network X, the association SOS Homophobie denounced “a democratic and human affront to equality” and urges the Prime Minister to “necessary clarifications” on the rights of LGBT people. “The associative and activist world will be very attentive to past positions” new ministers, Erwan Passey, co-founder of the Queer Pantin association, warned on franceinfo on Sunday. He also points the finger at Michel Barnier, who voted against the decriminalization of homosexuality in 1982.

For political scientist Vincent Marigny, the new government represents the “conservative, Catholic branch, which was close to movements like La Manif pour tous and identified with François Fillon’s candidacy” for the presidential election in 2017 and who “is doing well in this reshuffle”. “It’s a surprise, because it’s also the one that is the most distant a priori from public opinion,” he told AFP.