Thursday, March 28

French parliament debates approval of COVID vaccine amid death threats from parliamentarian


Dozens of French MPs say they have received death threats ahead of a debate on the latest COVID-19 restrictions in the country.

Legislators in France are ready to vote whether to make the vaccination pass mandatory for citizens to enter various public spaces.

Under the proposed new rules, citizens will not be able to show a negative test result to enter bars, restaurants or use long-distance public transportation.

The current health pass will be replaced by the so-called “vaccination pass”, except when citizens have a “compelling family or health reason” for not getting vaccinated.

The legislation is expected to be approved in a vote in the French parliament on Tuesday.

But the proposed tightening of restrictions has drawn new ire from anti-vaccine protesters in France.

Several deputies in the ruling En Marche! (LREM) of President Emmanuel Macron have denounced recent threats of violence.

Last week, the property of another French deputy in Oise was set on fire and vandalized by suspected anti-vaccine protesters. LREM’s Barbara Bessot Ballot said that at least 52 MPs had received “unacceptable” threats.

“We will not give in”

On Sunday, Agnès Firmin Le Bodo of the center-right Agir party tweeted a graphic threat that had been emailed to her anonymously.

In the email, Firmin Le Bodo was threatened with beheading by someone who said he had bought knives.

Another MP, Naïma Moutchou from the Horizons party, shared a similar threat saying that “they would shoot her at her home and cut off her head.”

In response to the death threats, French Health Minister Olivier Véran denounced the “selfishness” of anti-vaccine protesters and promised that those responsible for the threats would be punished.

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On Monday, Véran also voiced “unwavering support for elected officials” ahead of the debate.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin added that the police will strengthen protections for elected legislators.

“We will not give in,” LREM lawmaker Yaël Braun-Pivet told parliament on Monday, adding that France’s democracy “is at stake.”

A tense debate in the French parliament

Like many European countries, France has seen demonstrations against coronavirus restrictions in recent months despite improving attitudes.

France currently has one of the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the European Union, with over 91% of citizens aged 12 and over fully vaccinated.

Since August, French citizens have had to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test in many public places.

But the new “vaccine pass” is being introduced to curb a wave of infections related to the highly contagious Omicron variant.

The government says the new regulations will prevent France from having to introduce curfews or closures in the future. A negative test will still be sufficient to gain access to French health facilities and services.

Those who possess a fake vaccination pass will face a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros. Bars and restaurants could also be fined 1,000 euros for failing to check the status of customers’ vaccinations.

In a tense debate in parliament, several opposition MPs have voiced their opposition to the new rules, and left-wing lawmaker Jean-Luc Melenchon said the proposed law would create a “totalitarian and authoritarian society.”

Others have suggested that France should focus on other “weapons” to fight the virus, such as FFP2 masks and COVID-19 testing, or introduce measures only for those at risk of infection.

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A protest was also held in front of the French parliament building in Paris on Monday night.

If passed as expected, the bill will go to the French Senate this week before it can be adopted and take effect in mid-January.


www.euronews.com

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