Surrounded by investors and industry lobbyists at the Château de Versailles for the Choose France summit, Emmanuel Macron expressed his intention yesterday to remove ‘numerous constraints and regulations’ he claims are burdening businesses, specifically targeting the CS3D – which is already under review.

By declaring his aim to ‘resynchronise’ the regulatory actions of the EU and the United States, Emmanuel Macron is launching a direct assault on a directive crucial for holding transnational corporations accountable – a directive his party had previously supported. This U-turn marks a worrying alignment of France with the brutal policies of US President Donald Trump and also echoes the stance of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

While the French President’s stance may seem out of step with certain recent statements by the French government, many economic and political voices – and even the European Central Bank – on the issue, it aligns with the desires of far-right leader and MEP Jordan Bardella, whose party has been campaigning for months to repeal the CSDDD and the European Green Deal.

In so doing, these statements further demonstrate the French Presidency’s alignment with those that despise human rights and the planet, and its connivance with business lobbies eager for deregulation.

At a time when the climate crisis and inequalities are worsening, this announcement runs counter to urgent social and ecological needs. In the face of this regression, the Citizen’s Forum for Economic Justice is calling for mobilisation. We urge President Emmanuel Macron to honour his commitments and preserve this fundamental piece of legislation, which holds transnational corporations accountable and protects victims around the world.

We also call on the French President to immediately engage in constructive dialogue with civil society, whose requests have so far fallen on deaf ears, in order to