Virus: Paris “does not want Germany to close its border” with France

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Paris “does not want Germany to completely close the border” with France, French Secretary of State for European Affairs Clément Beaune said on Monday, while Berlin partially closed its borders with the Czech Republic and France. ‘Austria to contain the spread of variants of the coronavirus.

The German government has hinted that it could do the same with France in the coming days, due to the health situation in the French department of Moselle where there is a progression of the South African variant, which is very contagious.

“I do not want Germany to completely close the border” with France, said the Secretary of State on Franceinfo, calling for “consultation” to avoid this scenario.

“If Germany were to further restrict movement” to France, “I would like us to define the widest possible exceptions together.” We have two major concerns: road transport (…) and frontier workers. For these people, it is a question of the ability to work and to earn a living, ”he insisted.

“We will do everything in discussion, so that there is no decision that is not coordinated, so that there are no unpleasant surprises”, he stressed, indicating that he had to meet this Monday with the three minister-presidents of the German border regions with France.

Regarding the German decision to partially close its borders with the Czech Republic and the Austrian Tyrol, “I do not believe that there has been a debate with the European Commission”, regretted Mr Beaune.

“Moreover, the European Commission recalled, since we spent some time coordinating our European measures, defining common rules, a framework, that this was not in conformity with the European framework. There was an exchange yesterday between the European Commissioner concerned and the German Minister of the Interior to explain this, ”he continued.

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