I am not here de defend politicians, but...

The title says "France rejects backdoor mandate" but TFA makes it clear that France is not a hive-mind:

- The rejection was by the French National Assembly (think parliament/congres) - Ths happened despite pressure from the internal ministry (the government)

I find it interesting that it is often a similar story at the EU level where the European Parliament puts a stop to the worst impulses of the European Commission.