Polynesia: Fritch reshuffles his government but retains an unvaccinated minister


The President of French Polynesia, Édouard Fritch, reshuffled his government on Monday February 21 but retained his Minister of Agriculture, who refuses to be vaccinated.

Surrounded by his government, Edouard Fritch presented two new ministers. Virginie Bruant, a business leader elected to the local assembly, is appointed Minister of Labour, Solidarity, in charge of the Status of Women and the Family. Footballer Naea Bennett, former captain of the Tahitian beach soccer team and two-time vice-world champion, has been appointed Minister of Youth, Crime Prevention and Sports. Because of his membership in the Church of Latter-day Saints, he will not work on Sundays.

Edouard Fritch said he would take care of the Tourism portfolio himself, the first local business sector. Last November, the Minister of Labor and Tourism, Nicole Bouteau, resigned. She was indignant at thelack of consistencyof the government, which campaigned for the vaccination obligation, while one of its ministers refused to be vaccinated. Édouard Fritch then announced that he wanted his government to set an example. He had announced that he demanded the vaccination of his Minister of Agriculture Tearii Alpha and that he “would make decisionsif he was not vaccinated when the law on the obligation to vaccinate would apply in French Polynesia, on January 23.

But a month later, on Monday, he retained his minister, a mayor with significant political weight. “I don’t see why I would leave the government with a minister who is competent: Tearii Alpha will be subject to the law, probably he will be fined like those who are not vaccinated, he will pay his fine, but he remains in the government“, declared Édouard Fritch during this presentation to the press.



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