Alongside its annual report on the state of human rights in the world, the NGO Amnesty International warns France of what it considers to be warning signs of authoritarian practices. Interview with the president of Amnesty International France.

Published on: 04/22/2026 - 6:28 p.m.

Can France fall into an authoritarian or illiberal regime? If it is not there yet, the trivialization of speeches against the rule of law is a deviation and represents a danger, according to Amnesty International France, which published its annual report on the state of human rights in the world on Tuesday April 21.

The NGO lists what it considers to be "five warning signs of authoritarian practices": the repression of civil society, the trivialization of racist speeches, the denigration of the judicial institution, the strengthening of surveillance tools and the intensification of the use of force by the police.

The year 2025 was thus marked, recalls Amnesty International France, by the ban on demonstrations against the construction of the A69, by a Minister of the Interior – Bruno Retailleau – publicly proclaiming “Down with the veil”, by political figures condemned by the courts – Marine Le Pen and Nicolas Sarkozy – speaking of “tyranny of judges”, by the extension of algorithmic video surveillance and attempts to use facial recognition, and by “abusive” repression, according to the UN, demonstrations by the police.

“We are destroying what allowed us to establish our country in a democratic situation in which the population has its say and where divergent opinions are admitted and listened to,” warns Anne Savinel-Barras, president of Amnesty International France, who nevertheless wants to believe in a start before the presidential election of 2027.

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France 24: In your annual report on the human rights situation in the world, you devote a chapter to France. You mention warning signs of authoritarian practices. What do you mean ?

Anne Savinel-Barras: The French situation must be considered in the international context, in which the law of the strongest is gradually becoming the rule, with an increase in authoritarian practices. Democracies are not impervious to these anti-human rights tendencies and France is no exception. In this particular atmosphere, we seek to call into question the foundations of human rights and international law.

Of course, France is not a dictatorship or an illiberal democracy. However, we observe markers of authoritarian practices which are worrying. A country does not switch overnight from a democratic regime to an authoritarian regime, it is a switch that happens little by little. However, this authoritarian drift exists in France through these markers that we have identified, such as the repression of civil society. We are destroying what allowed us to establish our country in a democratic situation in which the population has its say and where divergent opinions are admitted and listened to. These abuses threaten our rule of law.

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How can we explain the intensification of these authoritarian practices in France and what could be described as a form of acceptance by the population?

The difficult economic and social situation that France is experiencing creates favorable terrain for the development of these authoritarian practices, especially since certain political leaders and certain media relay racist comments, scapegoat foreigners and trivialize comments that go against the rule of law. All of this creates a climate in which comments and actions that go against human rights end up being tolerated and accepted when they would not have been before. We accept being monitored, we accept xenophobic remarks, we accept that the judicial institution is called into question.

Likewise, attacks on civic space are increasing, with threats of dissolution of associations and bans on demonstrations for environmental defenders or supporters of the Palestinian people. Their fight is discredited, which becomes suspect. France was also singled out in 2025 by the United Nations Committee against Torture, which pointed out the "abusive use" by the police of weapons which injure and mutilate demonstrators. However, by crushing civic space, we prevent people from demonstrating and defending their rights because we discourage them. People are afraid and will no longer demonstrate. And since there are few reactions, we end up finding it normal to prevent people from demonstrating.

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The issue of racism made the news during the municipal elections, with a mayor, Bally Bagayoko, who suffered numerous racist attacks. The president and the government took time to provide support. Has France become a xenophobic country?

Today in France there is completely uninhibited racist speech, made in particular by political leaders, all in a context of systemic racial discrimination which exists but which is denied by our leaders. They do not seek to look at society as it is and, consequently, nothing is done about the issue of racism. This is also what the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CNCDH) says, which has just criticized the implementation of the plan to combat racism, anti-Semitism and discrimination linked to origin [the CNCDH issued a very severe opinion on March 26, Editor's note]. We do nothing to make the population understand what is racist, what is anti-Semitic, we do nothing to educate our young people. On the other hand, we support a proposed Yadan law which exacerbates anti-Semitism and restricts freedom of expression.

Are you calling for a start?

The only way out of this very dangerous moment is to look at the issue of human rights and say that civil society has a very important role to play. Our rights and freedoms are fundamental to living in society. If we want to express our opinions without fear, if we want to have access to independent justice, we must prevent the destruction of the rule of law and prevent it from giving way to a state of force.

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