Bareheaded, with bright lipstick and a piercing gaze, Fleur Breteau has become the new face of the fight against cancer and pesticides in France. The general public first discovered her on July 8. "You are cancer's allies and we will let everyone know!" she shouted from a balcony in the Assemblée Nationale, overlooking the right-wing and far-right groups. Despite unprecedented mobilization from the scientific community and environmental advocates, MPs had just voted in favor of the so-called Duplomb Law: a highly controversial piece of legislation that reauthorized acetamiprid, a bee-killing pesticide suspected of being toxic to brain development, banned in France since 2020.

"With my cancer face, I was the only one who could speak up in the chamber," said Breteau. The Parisian founded the Cancer Colère group ("Cancer Anger") the day after the Duplomb Law was first passed by senators, on January 27. Her goal: "To politicize cancer by making it visible." She has succeeded. Her act contributed to the success of the citizens' petition calling for the law's repeal, which passed the million-signature mark shortly before 6 pm on Sunday, July 20. "This is what civil society is giving back to a contemptuous government and the 316 lawmakers who supported Duplomb over public health, science and the future of farmers," responded the newly minted activist. "They thought they could censor the democratic process. They wanted to destroy us, but they are bringing us together."

You have 78.21% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.