Deconfinement, phase 2: Damien Abad points to “contradictory injunctions”

After abstaining in the National Assembly on April 28 on the Prime Minister's deconfinement plan, the head of the LR deputies, Damien Abad, delivers his analysis on the second step, presented on Thursday. He recognizes "real progress", but remains critical.

The deconfinement accelerates significantly. Does this mean that the government has managed well?

DAMIEN ABAD. This acceleration was necessary both for the French economy and for social life. Each day of lost, they are more unemployed, it is an economic and social crisis which worsens. It was therefore necessary to emerge from a paralyzing and immobilizing prudence for the country, from a kind of torpor. There were real advances this Thursday, which were essential. I think they are somewhat late and there are still some contradictory injunctions.

Which ones?

For example, we reopen high schools, but we cancel the oral exam of the French bac. We can go on annual leave but we are told that if we can postpone a trip, it is more reasonable. We are told that gatherings of more than ten people are prohibited, but travel beyond 100 km is allowed. The government is sending somewhat contradictory messages here: on the one hand, the restriction that remains in place and, on the other, openness. I think that the ban on gatherings of more than ten people should also be lifted.

Do you approve of having a France all in green and Ile-de-France in orange?

I prefer this card to the one before. It was necessary to leave a certain number of regions of red, a stigmatizing color and which was no longer current. Regarding Ile-de-France, it is important to make opening gestures there as quickly as possible because it is the heart of the French economy. It is therefore very important to reopen the café terraces and to give reopening dates to these establishments. It is also very good that the government has abandoned the 4 square meter per client measure because it required a realistic health protocol. But we must now go further. What we offer at LR is to lower the VAT on catering to 5.5% to compensate for the loss of turnover.

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VIDEO. 100 km, reopening of bars and colleges: 4 things to remember from deconfinement