Politics. What were the results of the first two citizens' conferences initiated by Emmanuel Macron?

After climate and end-of-life issues, Emmanuel Macron is bringing out the citizens' convention card. The head of state announced that he would ask a panel of citizens to work on a third convention , launched in June, on "children's time," which will address vacation times and school schedules.

As with the end-of-life and climate issues, the President has decided to entrust the organization of this citizens' convention to the Economic, Social, and Environmental Council (CESE). But what lessons can be learned from the last two citizens' conventions? A rather mixed assessment of several years of debate and reports that have not always been taken into account.

Following the Yellow Vest crisis, triggered by the announcement of a carbon tax on fuels, the Citizens' Climate Convention (CCC) was launched in 2019 and 2020 during Emmanuel Macron's first five-year term with the aim of "accelerating the fight against climate change", as the Cese indicates on its website .

Bringing together 150 people, all drawn at random from a "panel representative of the diversity of the French population", the convention was to define a series of measures to achieve a reduction of at least 40% in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 (compared to 1990).

When Emmanuel Macron received the 149 proposals in June 2020, he conceded "three jokers" , but committed to taking up "without filter" the other 146 ideas from the CCC.

The expectations of the “conventional” (2020)

Of the 149 proposals put forward by the convention, the President of the Republic had in fact set aside certain measures such as the 110 km/h speed limit on motorways, an amendment to Article 1 of the Constitution, or the creation of the crime of ecocide. Others, such as the ban on heated outdoor terraces and the fight against thermal sieves or artificialization of soils, had been included in the Climate Law passed in July 2021. But many of these measures had undergone modifications making them less restrictive compared to what citizens were proposing. Thus, domestic air connections were eliminated as soon as an equivalent train journey exists in less than 2.5 hours, while the CCC participants requested a threshold of 4 hours.

Many members of the convention believe that the measures adopted will not achieve the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. "We were really made a fool of," declared some citizens who participated in the convention.

The second model of its kind, the Citizens' Convention on End of Life (CCFV), submitted a report on this topic in April 2023, leading to a bill currently being considered by the National Assembly. It brought together some 200 French people, selected by lot, in December 2022, at the government's request.

After 27 days of work, the 184 "conventional" members had taken a position in favor of the legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia . A majority of the citizens gathered were in favor of a change in the law (76%), with 23% voting against. In their report, 78% also believed that caregivers could invoke a conscience clause to not participate in the procedure and that improving end-of-life support remained the priority.

A bill "relating to support for the sick and the end of life" was introduced in the spring of 2024 by Health Minister Catherine Vautrin, but it could not be completed due to the dissolution.

Finally, two bills, one on assisted dying, the other on palliative care, were born and adopted in recent days in committee . But nothing is over: the debates in the hemicycle on the two texts will begin on May 12 for two weeks, with a joint general discussion, and two formal votes scheduled for May 29. In all groups, the deputies will have freedom of vote. If they are passed, the texts will then go to the Senate where these subjects seem to have even less consensus.