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The creation, in 2011, of the Défenseur des Droits did not anticipate the practical conditions in which the process of merging four existing authorities for the protection of rights and freedoms would unfold. The enquiry conducted within this new institution reflects the complexity of this task: the integration strategy deployed by officials has indeed met with a set of constraints imposing certain organisational compromises. Although the challenge of integration has largely been met, much nevertheless remains to be done to consolidate the foundations of the institution.