À l’occasion de la 5ᵉ Conférence sur les politiques étrangères féministes, accueillie par le gouvernement espagnol à Madrid, j’ai eu le plaisir et l’honneur d’intervenir au Congrès des députés pour porter la voix de l’engagement des parlementaires français en faveur d’une diplomatie féministe.

Face aux défis de notre époque, nous défendons une approche fondée sur le respect des droits, de l’égalité et de la dignité humaine, plutôt que sur le rapport de force. Une philosophie politique indispensable pour construire des sociétés plus justes, plus pacifiques et plus résilientes.

Ladies and gentlemen, 

Colleagues, Dear Diene Keita,

Dear friends and committed activists,

A few months after the fourth conference on feminist foreign policy, held in Paris in October 2025, I am delighted to be here in Madrid for the fifth edition of this event, which is so important given the times we are living in and the struggles we are facing collectively to build a more peaceful, fairer, more inclusive, more united and more sustainable world. I would like to underline the efforts of the Spanish government and parliamentarians, and foremost among them my friend and colleague Susana Ros, for her determination to defend our shared values, to take action and to do everything in their power to bring us together and unite us in this vital struggle for women’s rights and human rights.

What Spain is doing right now is a source of inspiration for many citizens across the world. Thank you! Lo que está haciendo España en estos momentos es una fuente de inspiración para muchos ciudadanos de todo el mundo. Para mí y para mucha gente, es una fuente de esperanza. ¡Gracias! Gracias por rechazar con tanta convicción el ambiente reaccionario de la época en la que vivimos. 

Since Paris, it is clear that the world is not getting any better. One cause for concern follows another, and warrior rhetoric is on the rise. The period we are living through is clearly marked by a powerful reactionary ideological current, in which anti-rights and masculinist movements are major players – structured, organised and heavily funded. But this will only last for a while. It will only last for a while because, every day, more and more of us are making it clear that the solutions to the challenges we face do not lie in promoting patriarchy but in building a feminist world. What does that mean in practical terms? 

Where some use the notion of freedom of expression to overpower values and prioritise divine law over civil law,

Where some prefer the rule of strengh to the rule of law,

 We defend the rule of law, the division of powers, and respect for intermediary bodies and civil society.  

We defend dialogue between people and multilateralism to build sustainable solutions together for our fellow citizens.

Where some exploit migration issues to develop racist and xenophobic policies,

Where some talk of demographic crises and decreasing birth rates to create a sense of panic and place the entire burden of the challenges facing our world and our societies on Women,

We maintain that this is not the case and that another path towards hope and equality is possible. Never before has our planet had so many inhabitants.

The reality is that, whether we are facing an ageing or a younger population, or whether we are dealing with immigration or emigration, the solutions lie in a feminist philosophy that respects everyone’s life and is respectful to everyone’s wishes and autonomy –

Which, first and foremost, involves defending reproductive and sexual rights and struggle against all gender-based violences. The solutions doesn’t lie in confining women to reproductive roles.

The solution does not lie in the persecution of migrants, LGBTQIA+ people or people with disabilities. The solutions lie in respect for the rights of every single person. It’s the Universal message of the constitutionalization of the abortion in France.

When Some try to reduce diplomacy to transactional relations, and even speak of « mirror diplomacy » with the sole aim of pursuing economic gain, we continue to fight for a feminist diplomacy in which solidarity and the defense of human and children’s rights are central.

Fighting for this political struggle is essential. We must also find ways to stop the hemorrhage of budget cuts dedicated to international solidarity and find new sources of funding.

We will discuss this throughout this conference as a follow-up to the Seville Pact. In a world where budgets for military defence continue to rise, we must say loud and clear that it is unacceptable to dismantle the tools that enable us to build peace! We cannot collectively continue down this path.

Finally, where some seek to block or undermine women’s civil rights, we continue to fight to strengthen women’s position in all areas of political representation and decision-making, whether in public administration or in the business world. We do this for equality.

We also do it because – let’s say this loud and clear – a decision taken solely by men is not a good decision. Strengthening women’s role in all decision-making processes means improving the decisions that are taken. It means improving the world we live in! Men need to understand this. We must tell them this wherever we can. 

In all these struggles, strengthening parliamentary coalitions is essential, as supporting civil society’s through NGOs and trade unions. We must create shares solutions to these struggles. And that is what the members of the Spanish Congress are offering to us today through this event this morning.

So, thank you, dear Susana. Together, let’s continue to champion the political struggle for the recognition of feminist diplomacy, for the building of a better world that respects the lives of every single person, respects our planet, and focuses on future. Let’s get loud as the song said !