“The mere existence of a right is not enough to make it a reality,”, she reminded the university community gathered on September 2 in the Weil lecture hall.

Digitization of administrative procedures, access to public services, discrimination, precarious living conditions: Claire Hédon outlined the persistent barriers to exercising one’s rights. “It is up to public services to adapt to the user, not the other way around.” This issue also touches on trust in institutions: “Ultimately, what’s at stake is trust.”

The meeting continued with a discussion with the students. Claire Hédon emphasized that everyone can contribute to the defense of rights: “Each of us can take action and has a role to play.”

She finally called for vigilance in the face of the gradual erosion of freedoms: “Rights and freedoms sometimes recede silently as we grow accustomed to exceptions.” A call to action summed up in one sentence: “Ensuring that the law leaves no one behind helps strengthen the bond between citizens and institutions.”