Senator UC (Union of the center) of Haute-Savoie and former mayor of Marnaz, Loïc Hervé challenged the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the containment measures taken by Switzerland, deemed insufficient.
The weather:
What do you blame the Swiss authorities for?
Loïc Hervé: France is confined, Haute-Savoie as well of course. Switzerland, for its part, calls for relative confinement, with movements which therefore remain authorized. I have the impression that what we do here is useless if Switzerland does not follow, if our neighbors do not apply the same measures as ours. The canton of Geneva is like an enclave in France which shares 95% of the border with our country. Tens of thousands of cross-border commuters travel to Switzerland every day to work. So there needs to be a coherent policy. Alain Berset spoke the other day about show politics to justify the total non-containment of Switzerland. His remarks were aimed directly at France. It was hurtful, knowing our current constraints and the situation for the less dramatic which prevails in regions of France, the Great East in particular. As an elected official, I am constantly challenged by people, ordinary people, entrepreneurs, other elected officials. I explain to them the merits of the measures taken by Paris. But how do you explain to them that people are walking alongside the lake and young people are partying in the evening? They all have relatives or friends who work in Geneva, who are therefore exposed.
You arrested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. What do you expect?
I contacted Amélie de Montchalin, the Secretary of State for European Affairs, directly. I told him of my rant. As part of the bilateral discussions, the subject will be addressed. The fact remains that Paris and Bern should not be highlighted in this case. I imagined that the Geneva Council of State and the Prefect of Haute-Savoie would tie up and harmonize their violins. Everyone is free to do what they want but in this coronavirus epidemic we could pay dearly if we do not display a minimum of consistency.
Reactions to your rant?
There are Swiss people who made me understand that their country is sovereign and that I should be involved in what is happening in France. I would practice some form of interference. Others approve of me because they know that we live in the same territory. In this regard, I observe that State Councilor Mauro Poggia joins me. Today he calls for tighter confinement, almost equivalent to ours. Alain Berset, who visited the HUG, seems to be going very slowly in our direction.
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