After three days of tumultuous debates, fueled by controversial remarks by Emmanuel Macron, ready to “piss off” the unvaccinated, the National Assembly adopted on Thursday morning at first reading the bill transforming the health pass into a pass vaccine.
He will have trained them at the end of the night. The bill transforming the health pass into a vaccination pass was adopted at dawn, this Thursday morning, at first reading by the National Assembly. The text was approved at 5:25 am by 214 votes in favor, those of the majority and part of the LR and PS deputies. They were 93 parliamentarians to speak out against, in particular the deputies of rebellious France, the PCF or the RN, but also 3 dissidents LREM. No less than 27 deputies abstained.
Just like three days of tumultuous debates marked by several interruptions to the session, the last night of discussions progressed choppily, with some outbursts of voices on the health pass in meetings or the situation in Overseas. The course of article 1 (out of 3) was not crossed until 3 o’clock in the morning. “We are tired, deputies must return to the constituency”, let go of an elected official in the corridors, while the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, said he was ready to “Chain” the session with morning meetings.
Until the early hours of the morning, the parliamentarians discussed the substance, the oppositions targeting in particular the identity checks that may be operated by cafetiers or restaurateurs in the event of “Serious reasons” to think that there is fraud on the vaccination pass. The LR deputies, who were finally divided on the overall vote on the bill (28 for, 24 against, 22 abstentions), announced that they would seize the Constitutional Council on this point of checks.
Senate review early next week
Prime Minister Jean Castex himself came on Wednesday afternoon to ask parliamentarians to speed up, after the blockage, or even according to LFI the “crisis”, provoked by Emmanuel Macron’s words to the Parisian, proclaiming his “Want” “to piss off” the unvaccinated. Summoned to explain himself, Jean Castex first confirmed before the Senate his desire to put pressure on the unvaccinated. “Who is insulting the nation? […] Who leads caregivers in our emergencies to make dramatic ethical choices? Well it’s a tiny minority ”, he argued. Then at the Palais Bourbon, the Prime Minister urged the deputies to “To debate quickly”, taking into account the health situation.
This first step has therefore passed. The bill must now be considered by the right-wing Senate early next week, for an entry into force that the government wanted on January 15 but which should be postponed by a few days. Those over 12 will then need to be able to prove their vaccination status to access leisure activities, restaurants and bars, fairs or interregional public transport. A negative test will no longer suffice, except for access to health establishments and services. Among their retouching amendments, the deputies postponed from 12 to 16 years the need for a vaccination pass for school trips and peri and extracurricular activities.