France Environment Minister Stays After Resigning Over Pesticides
Monique Barbut is France's environment minister. She resigned earlier today to protest a pesticide bill.
The bill would bring back pesticides that harm bees. President Emmanuel Macron reportedly refused to accept her resignation.
Barbut later said she will stay in her post. This is despite her disagreement with the pesticide bill.
She said fighting climate change is too urgent to leave now. The bill would allow a pesticide called acetamiprid for hazelnuts.
It would also allow another pesticide for sugar beets, apples and cherries. Both pesticides have been banned since 2018 and 2019.
Farmers say they need the pesticides to compete with other European farmers. France's Senate passed the bill by a vote of 214 to 111.
A similar bill was tried last year. France's top court struck down that earlier version.
More than two million people had signed a petition against it. The group Greenpeace criticized the new bill as part of a pattern under Macron's leadership.
Key Terms 3
- acetamiprid A pesticide that can harm bees, once banned in France.
- Constitutional Council France's top court that checks if laws follow the constitution.
- Greenpeace An international group that campaigns to protect the environment.