who will be appointed and what will their role be?

While the Bayrou government no longer has a ministry dedicated to children, Emmanuel Macron announced the creation of a high commission dedicated to children, Saturday December 28.

This Saturday, December 28, Emmanuel Macron announced the establishment of a High Commission for Children from next January. This initiative comes in a context where the government of François Bayrou no longer has a ministry specifically dedicated to this theme, raising concerns from child protection associations.

“The protection of the youngest is at the heart of my commitment. It will remain so for the next thirty months. To strengthen our action, I requested the creation of a High Commission for Children from January,” declared the President of the Republic on the social network

We do not yet know the name of the high commissioner. According to Le Figaro, the person will be appointed in January. The objective of this type of instance is to “underline the importance given to a particular issue”, according to public law professor Marc Frangi at the Figaro. A budget should be allocated to it and the High Commissioner will be able to coordinate the public authorities in this direction. Normally, the high commissioner is under the authority of the Prime Minister. In the finance bill for the year 2025, the envelope allocated to the protection and support of children amounted to 400 million euros.

The outgoing Minister Delegate for Families and Early Childhood, Agnès Canayer, was not reappointed during the formation of François Bayrou’s government on December 23. Furthermore, this theme is absent from the title of the “superministry” of Labor, Health, Solidarity and Families, now headed by Catherine Vautrin.

The absence of a ministry is strongly criticized by associations

This situation provoked a strong reaction from around twenty associations grouped within the Dynamics for the Rights of the Child. They denounced on Thursday the disappearance of this portfolio in a context of a child protection “crisis” and an increase in child poverty.

“Only the creation of a Ministry of Children, with a central place within the government and dedicated human and financial resources, will be able to guarantee an interministerial policy in favor of children and young people which is transversal, coherent and integrated. “, affirmed the associative coalition in a press release.

Emmanuel Macron’s decision, revealed Friday evening by Le Figarosparked contrasting reactions among child rights defenders. On the social network remarks by its president, Martine Brousse.

However, other actors are skeptical. For Lyes Louffok, an activist committed to child protection, this announcement is far from enough. “We are replacing the Ministry of Children with a high commissioner devoid of political weight, absent from the Council of Ministers and probably incapable of winning favorable arbitrations. Do you really think it will work?” he reacted Friday evening on X.

The man, LFI candidate supported by the New Popular Front during the partial legislative election in the 1st constituency of Isère, expresses a concern widely shared by several players in the sector.