Status: 07/26/2021 1:46 p.m.
After a controversial debate, France’s National Assembly has approved the government’s corona plans. The new law provides for a compulsory vaccination for certain professions. The majority of the French support the measures.
In the French parliament, the nerves were on edge from time to time, and the session president had to intervene: “This is a serious situation. I ask you to stay here at a worthy level that the citizens expect of us,” warns David Habib.
Previously there had been critical voices from the opposition. Bastien Lachaud of the left party La France Insoumise attacked the ruling party of President Emanuel Macron: “Your health passport is an authoritarian passport. It is not a passport, but a sieve. You offer nothing else, just a system of controls and prohibitions.” The government camp held against it. Caroline Abadie of the presidential party La République en Marche accused the opposition of fueling doubts about the vaccine: “This vaccine saves lives,” said the left-wing liberal MP.
Clear majority despite controversy
At the end of the nightly vote, there was a clear majority in favor of health passports and mandatory vaccinations: 156 votes in favor, 60 against, with 14 abstentions. The compulsory vaccination will now be introduced for health and nursing staff as well as for all rescue workers including the fire brigade and will take effect from September 15th. Those who refuse are no longer threatened with dismissal, but with a temporary leave of absence without continued payment of their wages.
The second central pillar of the Crisis Act is the expansion of the health passport. The vaccination or test certificate has been valid in cinemas, theaters or museums since last week. From next week it will also be compulsory for all French people or tourists who want to go to a café or restaurant, both indoors and outdoors. In addition, the passport must be shown in the TGV or in long-distance buses – otherwise there is a risk of fines.
The local authorities can also extend the obligation to provide evidence to certain larger shopping centers. Only two weeks ago, President Macron announced these measures in a televised speech.
Macron reiterates the need
The President is currently traveling in the French Pacific regions and said in Tahiti: “I stand completely by the measures that I announced on July 12th. It is my job, together with the government and advised by the scientific teams and responsible bodies To make decisions to protect the French. ”
At the weekend there were again protests against the tightened corona measures. Even though 160,000 demonstrators were counted across France, there were no major rallies. With 11,000 participants, there were even fewer protesters in Paris than the weekend before.
According to opinion polls, President Macron can rely on a large majority of the population for the package of measures now decided by parliament. The incidence rates in France are currently skyrocketing. Nationwide, the value is already over 160 again, in the holiday regions it is even higher. On the southern French Atlantic coast, the incidence value reaches around 300, and in some cases even up to 600 on the Mediterranean.