Left-wing leaders call on Emmanuel Macron to prevent US destruction of contraceptives

The Greens sent an open letter to Emmanuel Macron this Saturday, July 26, asking him to intervene urgently to prevent the planned destruction by the United States of female contraceptives , stored in Belgium and which could be incinerated in France.

These contraceptive methods (implants, IUDs), worth 9.7 million dollars according to press reports, are intended for "low- and middle-income countries as part of the programs of the United States Agency for International Development" ( USAID ), dismantled by the Trump administration, they write in this letter, consulted by AFP, signed by the head of the Greens Marine Tondelier and several female parliamentarians.

This American decision is "an affront to the fundamental principles of solidarity, public health, and sexual and reproductive rights that France is committed to defending," they added, urging Emmanuel Macron "not to be complicit, even indirectly, in retrograde policies."

"Cutting aid for contraception is a disgrace, destroying products that have already been manufactured and financed is even more astonishing," said Marine Tondelier.

The Greens are calling on the head of state, "as part of a joint initiative with the European Commission," to request a suspension of this destruction. They also want him to "explicitly" support the humanitarian organizations that have stated they are "ready to redistribute these contraceptives."

The leader of the La France Insoumise (LFI) deputies, Mathilde Panot, also urged Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister François Bayrou to "act to prevent this destruction, which will cost lives," in a message published on X. "These resources are vital, particularly for the 218 million women who do not have access to contraceptive care," she wrote.

The story was revealed by The Guardian and, according to press reports, these contraceptives are stored in Belgium and are to be incinerated in France.

The Trump administration recently admitted to destroying tons of food intended for malnourished children because it had expired.

These cases come at a time when the United States is drastically reducing its international aid, with Congress cutting some $9 billion in aid intended primarily for foreign countries on July 18.

The Trump administration also shut down USAID, which was folded into the State Department, laying off thousands of employees, and eliminated a series of programs promoting family planning and abortion.