A chaotic session, a truncated text: theNational Assembly gave a first green light to a pandemic health bill of Covid-19cut off from a key article on the possible return of the sanitary pass for travel “extra-hexagonal”.
The text examined in first reading at the Palais Bourbon was adopted by 221 votes against 187 and 24 abstentions during the final vote on the night of Tuesday 12 to Wednesday 13 July. He must now go to the Senate.
Le Minister of Health Francois Braun concluded laconically “take action” discussions punctuated by multiple negotiations and suspensions of the session. He assured that he would work to restore this text in its entirety during the rest of the legislative process.
“Long, tedious, instructive debates on the reality of political balances and forces in this hemicycle”summarized Raphaël Schellenberger (LR) at the end of the session.
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“Tonight’s learning is that we have an observation of the reality of the political forces present in the hemicycle, and of the method that we will have to adopt in the future to work on the texts”, announces @RSCactu. It points to a “method error”.#DirectAN #Covid19 pic.twitter.com/Vu7d6J8MXR
— LCP (@LCP) July 12, 2022
Rémy Rebeyrotte (Renaissance, Ex-LREM), lamented a “football match atmosphere” in the hemicycle, while France has just passed the bar of 150,000 deaths from Covid.
The debates which began on Monday and which had resumed on Tuesday at the end of the afternoon, were enamelled with tensions, heckling and unforeseen reversals of majority according to the articles and amendments.
This first text of the legislature thus reflected the difficulty of maneuvering for the government and the relative majority it has.
In the opposition, the multiple votes on the articles and amendments showed resolute hostility from the RN and most left-wing groups (LFI, communists, ecologists).
But the Socialists have often been absent from the hemicycle or have taken refuge in abstention, the LRs showing themselves sometimes divided.
” Abuse of power “
The bill confirms the expiry on August 1 of the framework “exorbitant of common law” the state of health emergency and the crisis management regime put in place at the end of May 2021.
This is “the extinction of the legal regime of the state of health emergency” and you “health and vaccination pass in the daily life of the French”had underlined Monday July 11 François Braun.
But article 2 of this bill of “monitoring and health security” was rejected at the end of the evening by 219 votes against 195, thanks to a conjunction of votes from the RN, LR and a majority of the left alliance Nupes.
This article provided for the possibility, if necessary, of reinstating the health pass for travel “extra-hexagonal”, from or to abroad. A provision allowing this pass to be required for underage travelers had been rejected a little before.
Anxious to spare some of the opposition, the government and its majority had nevertheless granted some changes requested on the LR and socialist benches concerning overseas territories.
The preliminary work in committee had also seen the government agree to a January 31 deadline for the measures in the bill, instead of the March 31 planned in the original version.
The text is now essentially reduced to its article 1, which allows, due to a still fragile epidemic situation, to continue to collect health data on screening tests (SI-DEP device).
Two other remaining articles, on the modalities of a parliamentary follow-up, have been merged into one.
“This text at the end of the debate no longer looks like much”estimated the deputy RN Sébastien Chenu.
The elected RN, LR and leftists have throughout the debates multiplied the attacks against the refusal of the government to reinstate the caregivers suspended due to a refusal to be vaccinated.
LR Aurélien Pradié once again demanded this reinstatement “to restore harmony in our society”. The rebellious Elisa Martin lambasted in these suspensions “an unprecedented and absurd abuse of power”.
No sanitary pass for minors
The government was also defeated by a conjunction of RN-Nupes-LR votes, aimed at removing the possibility of requiring a vaccination pass for minors, in the event that this certificate is reinstated for travel to or from abroad. .
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It’s hot for the macronie!
With 14 votes, we deleted the article authorizing the government to restore the #PassSanitaire in the transports.
We will continue the battle by voting AGAINST this article. pic.twitter.com/OxMT6Ye80G
— Antoine Léaument ???? (@ALeaument) July 12, 2022
Several elected representatives from these parties had tabled identical amendments to the “monitoring and health security”on a specific point of article 2, allowing if necessary to restore this pass for “extra-hexagonal” travelers from 12 years old.
The bulk vote for these amendments was won by supporters of an age raised to 18, by 196 votes to 183.
The result of this vote was greeted with thunderous applause from the benches of the parties behind these amendments. Work was able to resume calmly after a suspension of the session.
Rémy Rebeyrotte (Renaissance, ex-LREM), lamented a “football match atmosphere” in the hemicycle, while France has just passed the milestone of 150,000 Covid deaths.
All other previous votes on elements of this text have been won by majority. A vote on the whole text is expected later in the evening or night.
Faced with a still fragile epidemic situation, this bill also makes it possible to continue to collect health data on screening tests (SI-DEP device), a provision which has been approved.
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