Ecologist Anne Le Strat’s Appointment Stirs Tension: Rural Coordination on Edge

Anne Le Strat’s appointment as Deputy CEO for Society Mobilization at the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB) has sparked significant opposition from some segments of the agricultural sector, as reported by Contexte.

Previously serving as the Deputy Mayor of Paris in charge of water under Bertrand Delanoë, where she led the remunicipalization of water management, Anne Le Strat takes over from Christophe Aubel, a notable figure of the French Agency for Biodiversity and subsequently the OFB, who recently retired. Since her tenure at City Hall, she has been involved in consultancy and teaching roles.

Her appointment, confirmed on January 5th, has been viewed as an “insult” by the Coordination rurale.

The union, which leans towards the far-right, argues that this appointment challenges the impartiality of the public service, believing that such a strategic role should not be assigned to a figure known for her political activism. Amid renewed agricultural mobilizations over the past few weeks and ongoing distrust towards the OFB, the union has even called for the abolition of the institution.