Vaccination pass: the Assembly adopts the text at second reading

The controversial bill transforming the health pass into a vaccine pass which was initially to be implemented from this Saturday, to deal with the outbreak of the Omicron variant, is playing overtime in parliament. Started at 3 p.m. on Friday, the second reading of the text with the examination of nearly 450 amendments ended in an electric atmosphere in the National Assembly, around 4 a.m.

The debates must continue this Saturday in the Senate, the marathon of this twelfth health emergency text since March 2020 to end on Sunday afternoon, with a final vote of the National Assembly.

After the resounding failure of a compromise with the Senate, the deputies worked on a version of the bill close to that passed last week in first reading, but with certain modifications, sometimes inspired by the examination in the Senate dominated by the right.

Thus the vaccination pass will no longer apply to adolescents between 12 and 16 years old, who are still subject to the health pass. “Verification of identity concordance” with the pass, reinforcement of sanctions against false passes, possibility of making access to political meetings subject to the presentation of a health or vaccination pass… the debates stumbled on the same provisions as at first reading, without the government and majority changing course.

The opponents of the text did not disarm, like the elected LFI who defended in vain a motion of rejection beforehand against a text of “constraint” and have scrapped on each of their amendments, multiplying the scratches against the majority and the executive, with the key to regular rises in tension.

Accused of “political maneuver” with this text and the failure of the mixed parity commission (CMP), LaREM and its allies have put forward their “responsibility” and underlined the divisions at LR based on the votes.

The LR group voted overwhelmingly in favor of the bill but is divided on the text with 26 votes for, 14 against and 7 abstentions. The left largely voted against, including the socialist group (9 against and 3 for). Far-right deputies also opposed the text, with the exception of Emmanuelle Ménard. In fine, the text was adopted by 185 votes for, 69 against and 8 abstentions.