Mathilde Panot Reacts to the Withdrawal of the Yadan Law

French lawmakers have withdrawn the proposed Yadan bill targeting new forms of antisemitism after sustained pressure from left-wing opposition and citizen mobilization, marking a significant development in France’s legislative process on hate crime legislation.

The withdrawal occurred on Thursday, April 16, 2026, following tense debates in the National Assembly, with President Emmanuel Macron’s parliamentary group agreeing to retract the bill proposed by lawmaker Caroline Yadan. The decision came after a petition opposing the legislation gathered over 700,000 signatures, prompting widespread public debate about the scope and implications of expanding antisemitism-related offenses.

Mathilde Panot, President of La France Insoumise – Nouveau Front Populaire parliamentary group, characterized the withdrawal as a victory for popular resistance, stating that “the fight will continue for its complete withdrawal until the end!” She criticized the government’s move to absorb the bill’s provisions into a future legislative project, arguing it represents a marginalization of parliamentary debate and an unhealthy concentration of decision-making power within the executive branch.

Panot contended that the withdrawal process lacked sufficient consultation, noting that only one lawmaker appeared to have full knowledge of the bill’s details while the broader national representation was excluded from meaningful discussion. She challenged the government to explain why it was reviving the text in a new form, suggesting the delayed timeline until June would provide additional time for opposition to mobilize against the legislation.

The original Yadan bill aimed to combat what its proponents described as new forms of antisemitism by broadening the legal scope of related offenses. Opponents, including the petition signatories and left-wing lawmakers, argued that the expansion risked infringing on freedom of expression and could lead to overbroad applications of hate crime statutes.

Supporters of the bill’s withdrawal maintained that the issue would be better addressed through a comprehensive government-led legislative process rather than a private member’s bill. The government indicated it would reintroduce substantially similar provisions in a forthcoming bill expected to be examined first by the Senate before the end of June 2026.