The contrast is striking. After its first openly homosexual head of government, France now has a Prime Minister who voted against the decriminalization of homosexuality. One could argue a generational difference, a different era. But faced with the casting of the government team, Gabriel Attal himself asked for guarantees “that there will be no going back on medically assisted procreation, the right to abortion, LGBT rights.”
Because even on a subject as consensual as abortion, several members of the government stand out for their conservatism. The best-known figure is Bruno Retailleau, former president of the LR group in the Senate and now Minister of the Interior, who voted against the inclusion of abortion in the Constitution last March. The Vendéen also voted against the ban on conversion therapy and in favor of a recent bill aimed in particular at prohibiting access to puberty blockers for trans children. This text is denounced by associations as an “anti-trans” law.
Laurence Garnier and Patrick Hetzel, very conservative profiles
Another name that caused a reaction was that of Laurence Garnier, who was mentioned in the Family and finally became Secretary of State for Consumer Affairs. She also opposed the inclusion of abortion in the Constitution in the Senate, in addition to having supported the Manif pour tous since 2013. Close to Bruno Retailleau, she voted like him against the creation of an offence punishing conversion therapies in 2021 and for the so-called “anti-trans” law.
Patrick Hetzel, LR MP appointed to Higher Education, also raises concern due to his very conservative profile. He voted against the constitutionalization of abortion, against access to medically assisted procreation for all women and against marriage for all. A defender of the traditional family, “he was the one who presented a bill aimed at restricting student mobilizations, associative and union freedoms” in 2023, also underlines the student union UNEF.
Three LR against abortion in the Constitution, two abstentions
Two other ministers also abstained on the inclusion of abortion in the Constitution, MP Annie Genevard, appointed to Agriculture, and Senator François-Noël Buffet, Minister responsible for Overseas Territories. They both voted against PMA for all and marriage for all. François-Noël Buffet continues to campaign for the repeal of the Taubira law and voted in favor of the so-called “anti-trans” law.
Other members of the government voted in favour of registering abortion, or were not elected when the text was examined, but had very conservative positions. Paul Christophe, Minister for Equality, voted against equal access to medically assisted procreation in 2021. Minister of Citizenship and the Fight against Discrimination, Othman Nasrou is nevertheless a long-time activist against marriage for all. And if the Ministry of the Family did not return to Laurence Garnier, the portfolio ended up in the hands of Agnès Canayer, co-signatory of the bill aimed at banning medical transitions for trans minors, supported by Marie-Claire Carrère-Gée, responsible for government coordination, and by Françoise Gatel, Minister of Rurality and Trade.