On December 9, CIVICUS Monitor, an independent organization that evaluates civic freedoms worldwide, downgraded France’s civic space from “narrowed” to “obstructed.” This decision reflects years of growing restrictions on civil society, including escalating police violence, increased surveillance, arrests of protesters, targeting of journalists, and persistent limitations on fundamental rights. The French government has also increasingly employed administrative measures to suppress legitimate dissent, creating an environment that threatens free expression and civic participation.
The 2021 “separatism law” has played a central role in constraining civic space. This legislation grants authorities broad powers to dissolve nongovernmental organizations via ministerial decree and requires organizations to sign a “Contract of Republican Engagement” to access public funding and other state benefits. The contract’s vague provisions, such as refraining from actions that “undermine public order,” give the government wide discretion to sanction civic groups arbitrarily. These measures have fostered a climate of pressure and self-censorship within civil society.
Law enforcement abuses have further contributed to the downgrade. Nongovernmental organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have documented the excessive use of force by police against peaceful protesters, including dangerous crowd control methods. The United Nations Committee Against Torture, in its May 2025 observations, highlighted concerns over excessive and sometimes lethal force, ill-treatment, and the disproportionate targeting of minority groups. Organizations working on sensitive issues, such as Palestine solidarity, have also faced restrictions.
The downgrade signals an urgent need for the French government to respect civic space and uphold international human rights commitments, including those under EU law and the European Convention on Human Rights. The European Commission should address these concerns through its annual Rule of Law report, offering clear recommendations to halt the backsliding. Civil society organizations must be able to exercise their rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly without fear of arbitrary reprisals.
