Covid-19 and elections definitely don’t mix! Twelve months later municipal unpublished, in two rounds separated by three months, departmental and regional polls are in turn suspended. Originally planned for this month of March, then postponed to June 13 and 20, 2021, they could again be threatened by the new epidemic wave from the moment.
Nothing concrete yet. No government announcement on the subject. But a little background music which resonates and circulates quite a bit for a few days. What if these meetings at the polls were still postponed, in the fall or even after the presidential election of 2022?
For now, the executive is waiting. As provided by the law recording the postponement from March to June, the Scientific Council must say – before Thursday 1is April – under what conditions these departmental and regional elections will be able to be held… or not. Then, the political parties will have to decide on the subject.
“It is not planned to postpone these polls today, but we will follow the recommendations of the scientific council”, indicates Gabriel Attal, the government spokesperson.
Lobby
An uncertainty that greatly worries the presidents of the regions. Ten of them (from left, right, center) thus published, yesterday, a column in Le Figaro. A way for them to put pressure on Emmanuel Macron, which might be tempted to negotiate a further postponement.
“All elections are essential. It is not for the Scientific Council to confine democracy, underline Carole Delga, Christelle Morancais, Valérie Pécresse, Xavier Bertrand, Hervé Morin, Laurent Wauquiez … We know that it is possible to organize the votes as part of a very safe health protocol. We cannot suspend democracy on a return to normal, while everyone agrees that we will have to get used to living in a new health context for a long time to come ”, the presidents of the regions conclude, visibly very annoyed.
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