France’s Minister of Ecological Transition, Monique Barbut, plans to resign after Parliament approved a controversial agricultural bill that has exposed deep divisions within President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist coalition.
According to a member of the minister’s team, Barbut informed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and her staff that she intends to step down once the legislation receives its expected final approval in the French Senate.
The proposed law was originally designed to address mounting pressure from French farmers facing declining profit margins and increasingly difficult production conditions. However, amendments introduced during the legislative process have sparked widespread political controversy.
The legislation temporarily authorizes the use of acetamiprid, a pesticide banned in France since 2020, for certain nut producers under specific conditions. It also doubles the amount of water farmers will be permitted to store over the next decade to help cope with drought and climate-related challenges.
Barbut Opposed Key Amendments
Barbut publicly opposed both measures, arguing that the Senate’s amendments had fundamentally altered the purpose of the legislation.
Speaking to La Tribune Dimanche over the weekend, she said the bill had moved beyond its original goal of supporting farmers and instead significantly changed France’s policy on water resource management.
The controversial provisions were reportedly added to secure enough support for the bill in the conservative-controlled Senate.
Political Divisions Within Macron’s Coalition
The debate has highlighted growing tensions inside President Macron’s governing camp over how to balance environmental protection with the economic needs of French agriculture.
Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard strongly defended the legislation, arguing that rejecting it would leave farmers facing even greater hardship.
Meanwhile, senior figures within Macron’s centrist movement expressed frustration over the government’s handling of the legislative process, despite broadly supporting limited exceptions for the pesticide’s use.
Pesticide and Water Measures Spark Debate
Acetamiprid belongs to the neonicotinoid family of insecticides, widely used to protect crops from harmful pests.
Although the European Union banned three neonicotinoids in 2018, acetamiprid remained authorized at the EU level because it is considered less harmful to bees and degrades more quickly in soil. France nevertheless imposed its own national ban in 2020.
Farmers’ organizations have long argued that the French ban places domestic producers at a competitive disadvantage compared to farmers elsewhere in the European Union.
Environmental groups, however, strongly criticized the decision to reintroduce the pesticide, warning that scientific evidence continues to highlight risks associated with neonicotinoids, including their impact on pollinators and water resources.
The bill’s water storage provisions have also proven divisive, as France continues to grapple with recurring droughts linked to climate change. Previous proposals to expand agricultural water reservoirs have triggered large-scale protests and clashes between demonstrators and police, with critics accusing the farming sector of monopolizing water resources instead of adopting more sustainable practices.
Barbut’s expected resignation marks one of the most significant political consequences of the legislation and underscores the growing tensions between environmental priorities and agricultural policy within the French government.
