Paris (AFP)
Emmanuel Macron intends, on a proposal from Prime Minister Édouard Philippe, to appoint Claire Hédon, president of ATD-Quart Monde, as a human rights defender to replace Jacques Toubon, announced on Monday the Elysée Palace.
"The President of the National Assembly and the President of the Senate are seized of this draft appointment, so that the committee concerned in each of the assemblies decides" as provided for in the Constitution, added the presidency in a press release.
Mr. Toubon, who was notably Minister of Justice from 1995 to 1997, must leave his functions at the head of the independent authority at the end of July, after six years in office.
To succeed him, Emmanuel Macron therefore chose Ms. Hédon, 57 years old and director since 2015 of the association ATD-Quart monde which fights against extreme poverty.
Former radio journalist (RFI, France inter), she is also a member of the National Consultative Ethics Committee since 2017.
Ms. Hédon had hosted Mr. Macron for several hours in an ATD-Fourth World center in Noisy-le-Grand (Seine-Saint-Denis) in September 2018, on the sidelines of the presentation of the government's poverty reduction strategy.
If her appointment was well ratified, her mission will be in particular to defend rights and freedoms in the context of relations with administrations, fight against discrimination or even ensure compliance with ethics by people carrying out security activities.
Fields on which Mr. Toubon was particularly critical in his reports, starting with the latest dated last week. He thus pinpointed "the inadequacy of public policies" on the issues of discrimination in employment, housing, education and police checks, and called for the creation of an "observatory".
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