Roberta in Switzerland and Peter in France, here. We greet you all from our homes in the “old world.” 

I am fascinated by people discovering that they have agency. In these times when our choices seem so vast, we often freeze and let an algorithm choose for us. 

Protestors with a poster saying “The world of tomorrow is already here”. Via Shutterstock.

Yet Peter Isackson, our wise strategist who lives in France and attentively watches local events, brought up an interesting point. He suggests that we could express the hypothesis that the stakes are much higher and deeper than any detail — say, a law, a budget, a scandal. These are mere diversions; the true culprit is the whole political system. Nobody wants to take on the real issues with the seriousness and dedication they deserve. Ecology and the collapse of many ecosystems, as well as the political system, institutions and methods of governance that increasingly appear to be in an advancing state of decomposition, are not being addressed. Does the social concept we used to call society still exist? The idea and conscience of a commonwealth are disappearing. What could come next if not chaos?

An analysis by the Financial Times highlights the fact that France’s political system is nearing a breaking point. The country has endured multiple governments in quick succession, disrespect of democracy, persistent parliamentary deadlock and an erosion of institutional credibility, marking a period of rapid and pervasive political decomposition, with public trust at historic lows. Surveys from one of France’s Grandes Ecoles, Sciences Po, reveal notably high levels of public mistrust toward institutions, especially compared to Germany, Italy and Poland. This stagnation isn’t a technical glitch — it is symptomatic of governance under strain and democratic norms fraying at the edges.

“Outside France, there is palpable concern about the nation’s political, fiscal and economic outlook, but much commentary focuses on relatively short-term questions. Will the divided legislature approve Prime Minister François Bayrou’s 2025 budget?”

Source: Mistrust, Grumpiness and Political  Deadlock in France – Financial Times

• A collapsing social contract, where institutions fail to mediate shared challenges.
• The erosion of common purpose, where citizens feel alienated rather than engaged.
• The disappearance of a common-wealth (res-publica), where all state run institutions end up being privatized.
• A democracy on the brink — not due to revolution, but due to resignation and disengagement.

Without intentional renewal of institutions, common governance mechanisms and ecological stewardship, the alternative may be covert chaos, not crisis managed through constitutional means.

Source: [Decoding France] – 2025: Hope Beneath the Political Gridlock? | Institut Montaigne

Recent commentary underscores how ecological concerns — once politically central — have been sidelined, treated as secondary technicalities rather than existential priorities. Policy reversals, institutional inertia and the silencing of ecological voices illustrate a broader departure from shared civic purpose. The real question becomes: Does French civic society still exist in meaningful form? If the public sphere loses capacity for collective action — anchored in environmental responsibility or democratic participation — France risks descending into fragmentation.

Source: France’s Ecological Transition in Crisis: Abandoned Low Emission Zones, Renewable Moratoriums, and the Fight for Social Justice | by Vic Langston – The Geopolitical Economist | Jul, 2025 | Medium

In France, when a petition reaches 500,000 verified signatures within six months on the Assemblée nationale’s official platform, the National Assembly is obliged to rediscuss the law.

Source: Loi Duplomb : la pétition contre le texte franchit la barre des deux millions de signatures – Le Figaro

A petition launched by Éléonore Pattery, a French 23-year-old Masters student in Qualified Scheduling Entity and Corporate Social Responsibility Risk Management, reached a staggering two million signatures in about two weeks. Her text will appear in history books. But the majority at the National Assembly has already stated that there’s no way the law will be challenged.

How did the Loi Duplomb get voted in? What does it imply? 

Initially introduced in November 2024 by Senators Laurent Duplomb (of The Republicans, Les Républicains) and Franck Menonville (of the Union of Democrats and Independents), the law underwent revisions through the Senate in late January. The National Assembly rejected it in May 2025. Following a joint committee agreement on June 30, the Senate approved it again on July 2. The National Assembly definitively adopted it on July 8, 2025, with 316 votes in favor, 223 against and 25 abstentions. The government had invoked accelerated legislative procedure from January 27, expediting its passage through Parliament.

Source: Agriculture: compromis trouvé au Parlement sur la loi Duplomb, avec le retour décrié d’un pesticide France 24

Who are these agricultural sectors? Notably, the main and most powerful agribusiness lobbying group in France is the FNSEA — Fédération Nationale des Syndicats d’Exploitants Agricoles, or the National Federation of Agricultural Holders’ Unions. It argues that French agriculture is penalized by a strict regulation of pesticides, stricter than other partner and competitor countries in the European Union.

But that’s not all. Besides pesticides, the Loi Duplomb regulates several other controversial aspects of agriculture and land use in France. Here’s a breakdown of key issues that the law touches:

Water management — authorization of “méga-bassines”

The law simplifies the legal procedures for building large water storage basins (méga-bassines), which are artificial reservoirs used to irrigate crops. Critics argue this favors industrial-scale monoculture and aggravates water conflicts during droughts, while proponents claim it’s necessary for “water security.” It loosens environmental assessments and public consultation requirements for such projects.
 

Intensive livestock farming — easing expansion rules

The law eases regulations on enlarging intensive animal farming operations, especially for poultry and swine. This includes simplified permit procedures for building or expanding large animal facilities. Environmental groups warn this will increase pollution, antibiotic use and animal suffering, while weakening zoning and impact studies.
 

Reform of environmental protections

The law reintroduces “cumulative exemptions,” allowing farmers to bypass multiple environmental protections if “economic risk” is cited. It weakens the principle of non-regression, meaning that environmental protections can now be rolled back in certain situations.
 

Advisory role of cooperatives and agri-suppliers

It repeals the 2015 ban that prevented companies selling pesticides (like cooperatives or distributors) from also advising farmers. This recreates a conflict of interest that was previously banned to prevent the overuse of chemicals driven by profit motives.
 

Reduction of legal recourse and citizen involvement

The law limits the scope of public participation, such as public inquiries and environmental hearings, in approving agricultural or industrial projects.
It also shortens deadlines for legal appeals against permits, weakening the ability of citizens and non-governmental organizations to challenge harmful developments. 

So, yes, Peter, I agree that the Loi Duplomb might not be the most important subject. But like the twirling crumpled papers in La Nausée, it gives us a glimpse, a symptom, a disturbance in the fabric of appearances. In French novelist Jean-Paul Sartre’s novel, protagonist Antoine Roquentin watches a piece of paper spinning in the wind and suddenly perceives the absurdity of existence — the gap between surface order and the underlying chaos. The paper is just paper, but it unsettles him because it makes him see differently, sense the strangeness of the world beneath routine perception.

Simone_de_Beauvoir_&_Jean-Paul_Sartre_in_Beijing_1955

The Loi Duplomb may be “just” a farm bill. But its acceleration, content and visceral public reaction, culminating in a petition with over two million signatures, reveal far more than a policy dispute. They show a collective unease with how decisions are made, who makes them and why no one seems able — or willing — to face the real crises: ecological collapse, political disintegration, institutional inertia and the erosion of any common future.

This is why the stakes are not about pesticides, nor even agriculture. The law serves as a crack in the edifice through which we glimpse the deeper questions: Do we still believe in the idea of a society? Of shared responsibility? Of public truth?

If we do not, then the real danger is not scandal or reform failure. It is a silent slide into democratic and ecological chaos, managed not through participation and dialogue, but through disengagement and denial.