This is called "back-pedaling". In the midst of a health crisis linked to the Covid-19 pandemic, all the mayors of France are hanging on the lips of Emmanuel Macron to know the fate of their city in the coming weeks. And for good reason, following the appearance of an English variant of the coronavirus, the government of Jean Castex has again reinforced security measures with a curfew at 6 p.m. But it is possible that the new provisions do not stop there … Indeed, for a few days, rumors have circulated about a third national confinement. However, for Tristan Duval, mayor of Cabourg, these "rumors" have taken a different turn. Monday, January 25, the latter announced that a third confinement would take place despite the absence of an official government announcement.
Backpedaling in extremis and apologies on Twitter
It was in the middle of the City Council that Tristan Duval's words exceeded his thoughts. Faced with his many collaborators, the municipal councilor and mayor of Cabourg announced via a video posted on Facebook that a third confinement would be put in place Thursday, January 28, 2021, for a period of five weeks, while keeping the schools open. However, a few hours after the announcement, the mayor was pinned down by the prefect of Calvados: "The Prefect of Calvados indicates that he did not have a conversation today with the mayor of Cabourg on the hypothesis of a possible reconfinement."
Contacted by France Bleu Normandie, Tristan Duval then apologized for having announced this future confinement too quickly. The politician explains that he expressed himself poorly. According to him, he simply wanted to warn colleagues of the possible scenarios for dealing with the Covid-19 crisis: "I should have specified that this decision was being considered and not to confuse the prefecture", he said daily. On Twitter, the official account of the city of Carbourg published the apologies of the mayor of the city. Tristan Duval also apologized to the prefect of Calvados whom he had implicated in his lying words.
On reading this tweet, the Prefect of Calvados indicates that he did not have a conversation today with the mayor of #Cabourg on the assumption of a #reconfinement possible. pic.twitter.com/vcjcFuxcVf
– Prefect of Calvados (@ Prefet14) January 25, 2021
Mr. Mayor #TristanDuval apologize to @ Prefet14 for expressing himself badly at the City Council @City_Cabourg and have unnecessarily involved #confinement. These were just ongoing rumors that he thought were off record.
The city remains mobilized.– City of Cabourg (@Ville_Cabourg) January 26, 2021
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