Oppositions which stiffen, a vigilant majority on freedoms and bursts of amendments: the National Assembly seizes this Wednesday of the bill extending the health pass, with a view to express adoption under the pressure of the Delta variant of the Covid-19. After twelve hours of debate, the deputies adopted the text in committee shortly after 5 a.m. this Wednesday morning (they will find it in the hemicycle from 3 p.m.).
Strongly contested by a fringe of public opinion even in the street, this text reflects the announcements of July 12 by Emmanuel Macron, of the vaccination obligation for caregivers with a health pass (proving the complete vaccination, a recent negative test or the ‘immunization) for access to cafes, restaurants and trains from the beginning of August.
The final adoption of this text by this weekend is a tour de force, as it unleashes passions. “The most radicalized risk being in session and everything will depend on the attitude of the Minister” of Health, Olivier Véran, who regularly smacks of opposition, observes a parliamentary source. In committee alone, some 600 amendments were reviewed overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday.
Postponements and relaxations already recorded
Basically, the Law Commission voted in favor of postponing the health pass for 12-17 year olds to the end of September. The government had already exempted this age category until August 30, and the measure could be debated again in the hemicycle, then in the Senate on Thursday.
For access to large shopping centers, MEPs have endorsed possible exceptions to the pass, when there are no other essential goods shops nearby. They also supported stronger sanctions against the making or use of fake health passes, or increased penalties for violence against people checking these documents.
“Promote freedoms”
To cut short the criticisms and announcements of referrals to the Constitutional Council which were multiplying, from the senatorial right to LFI deputies, the Prime Minister announced that he himself would appeal to the “wise men” on the whole of the bill. “Our objective was to take proportionate measures”, and “the sanitary pass is not an attack on freedoms, it will aim to promote them”, argued Jean Castex. A justification provided while several deputies, mainly LREM, have been threatened with death for their support for the text by anti-pass or anti-tax.
It is on the extension of the sanitary pass that right and left reserve their banderillas. LR deputies are calling for “flexibility” so that it is not as hard as confinement, with reduced fines and a waiver until August 30 for those who have received a first dose of vaccine. Tuesday evening, Olivier Véran did not completely close the door on this last point, even if he awaits scientific opinions.
On the left, convince rather than constrain
The Socialists, them, reject the past, which would amount to what “half of the population (restaurateurs, traders …) control the other half of the population”. They prefer a “compulsory vaccination” of adults against Covid-19 “by October 1”.
Communist and rebellious deputies are moving towards a global vote against, rejecting “attacks” on individual freedoms and want to convince rather than constrain.
On the majority side, initial reservations about the past have been swept away by presidential announcements and government demining meetings. But the question of compulsory isolation for the sick goes badly with some of them, and some rebels have given voice.
Conversely, Agir’s allies want to go further on the issue of isolation, by removing the two-hour exit window envisaged.
And the elected Modem, who had caused a quack in May during a vote on the regime of exit from the state of health emergency – extended there to December 31 – demand a debate every month in Parliament on the health situation and economic.