The ball is now in the court of the Senate, dominated by the right-wing opposition, after the rejection overnight by the deputies of a possible return of a health pass at the borders, a key article of the “watch and health security”.
Philippe Bas, LR rapporteur for the text in the Senate, told AFP on Wednesday that he was “looking for a solution to maintain an instrument to deal with this specific and one-off problem of international travel from countries where a dangerous variant of Covid would have emerged “. The overseas territories exposed to the risk of rapid saturation of their health structures are also concerned.
“There is a possible path”, he estimated, referring to “a more circumscribed article” which could remove “the unease” appeared in the National Assembly.
The bill will be examined next Tuesday by the senators in committee, before its arrival the following day in the hemicycle of the Luxembourg Palace.
On the side of the government, after the setback recorded in the National Assembly, the time seems to open up vis–vis the High Assembly.
The Minister of Health, Franois Braun, said Wednesday “totally available to build a new writing” at the Senate of the past health at the borders.
“A rapid reaction capacity”
Deleted by a coalition of opposition deputies, from both right and left (RN, LR, Nupes), this key article of the text planned to leave the executive the possibility of restoring the health past from or to abroad, but also between France, Corsica and the overseas territories.
“The interest was to give us a capacity for rapid reaction to the emergence of a dangerous variant (…) To no longer have this possibility, it is sure to waste time”, affirmed Mr. Braun during a hearing before the Senate Law Committee.
“I have a bit of the impression that without this article, in the event of an epidemic resurgence with a particularly annoying variant, we are asked to jump from the plane without a parachute saying + do not worry, we will bring you some one very quickly before you crashed to the ground+. I admit that I would rather jump out of the plane with a parachute,” he added.
Bitcoin: secure sites in our exclusive comparison
The Minister nevertheless said he was “totally available to build a new wording, which would take into account the various remarks, but which would allow us to leave at least a ventral parachute”.
Government spokesman and former Minister of Health Olivier Vran said his side “confident in the possibility of convincing senators who are already convinced of the interest of such a measure”.
“We have demonstrated over the texts a spirit of responsibility in the fight against Covid and a spirit of adaptation to the evolution of the health situation so that only proportionate measures are taken”, recalled for his part Philippe Bas.
“The exceptional regime falls on July 31”, he underlined, while speaking out in favor of maintaining “a certain number of protections, but really strictly proportionate”.
Asked about the problem of the reintegration of unvaccinated caregivers”, Mr. Bas said he was “ready to deal with the question, while highlighting the need to protect the elderly and the seriously ill against the risk of contamination”.
Reproduction forbidden.