The French government has harshly criticized opposition MPs after parliamentary debate on the proposed introduction of a “vaccine pass” was unexpectedly suspended Monday night after members of the Assemblée nationale voted by show of hands to go home.
The move came after seven hours of often heated exchanges as ministers clashed with critics over the controversial measure that will be introduced on January 15 but has now been postponed.
Government spokesman Gabriel Attal on Tuesday accused opposition deputies of engaging in politics and stopping the adoption of what he said were “essential measures … in an emergency situation.” He said the government would go ahead with the controversial legislation.
The proposal is to convert the current “health pass” that requires vaccination, Covid recovery or a negative Covid test into a “vaccine pass” that requires people to be fully vaccinated if they want to access restaurants, bars, museums , cinemas, theaters, long-distance trains, hotels and many other public places. Hospitals and health facilities would not require a “vaccine pass.”
The debate, which began on Monday afternoon, was due to continue until early Tuesday morning and there were still more than 500 amendments to be debated when the parliamentary session was suspended shortly before midnight.
Earlier, Prime Minister Jean Castex had told the chamber that the government could not accept 5.3 million people remaining unvaccinated in France. The new pass was intended to introduce “more severe restrictions for the unvaccinated,” he admitted.
France currently reports an average of around 160,000 new Covid cases a day.
“The tidal wave has indeed arrived. It is huge, but we will not panic, ”Health Minister Olivier Véran told deputies.
Facing vehement attacks from the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) and the far-left La France Insoumise (France Unbowed – LFI) for the violation of civil liberties, Véran added that “selfishness often hides behind so-called freedoms.”
Most MPs from Emmanuel Macron’s centrist La République en Marche (REM) party and the dominant opposition Les Républicains (LR) support the measure.
“Last night we saw an irresponsible form of friendship being formed with the parliamentarians of La France Insoumise, the Rassemblement National and LR to derail the timetable for the adoption of the vaccine pass,” Attal said. France Inter radio.
“The vaccine pass should go into effect as quickly as possible,” Attal added.
LFI’s far-left presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who had called for the new legislation to be rejected, accused the government of having “wreaked unspeakable chaos due to his myopia” and accused Véran of “arrogance”.
He called for “a global plan” and mocked the “measures on those who have the right to eat popcorn or drink their coffee standing or sitting.”
Critics also accused the government, which is one seat below the absolute parliamentary majority, of amateurism after it found itself without enough MPs present in the lower house to defeat the vote to suspend.
LFI’s Alexis Corbière said members of the ruling party were to blame for the stalemate. “The LREM parliamentarians did not mobilize enough last night and they found themselves in the minority. It is absolutely his fault. ” he tweeted.
The new legislation would also introduce stiffer penalties for those who use fake vaccine passes or places that fail to monitor people’s vaccine status up to five years in prison and fines of 75,000 euros (63,000 pounds).
www.theguardian.com
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism