A window to tomorrow.
It was Wednesday evening.
While announcing an imminent third confinement, the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, opened in parallel - finally!
- the door to a possible reopening of restaurants, brasseries, bars and cafes or, at least, terraces, in the not-so-distant future: "I will come back to you soon to specify a reopening agenda, and so that everyone can also project themselves with more visibility in the months to come, ”he announced.
And to clarify his thought: "from mid-May, we (...) will authorize the opening of the terraces under certain conditions", before celebrating this "French art of living which are the restaurants, the cafes, which we love so much. ...
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"I admit that when I heard this date in mid-May, I was very pleasantly surprised, rewinds Didier Chenet, the president of the National Group of Independents (GNI), because I did not think that the President s 'would advance as much.
“In fact, this little phrase has put balm on the heart of an entire profession, stopped since October 30.
So much so that its representatives are active behind the scenes more than ever in order to hasten this long-awaited reopening.
No date announced
This Friday morning, Le Point believed to know that the reopening of the terraces would be effective on Monday, May 17, and that "the restaurants serving inside could follow between June 1 and June 15".
“Nonsense”, we answer in substance in the entourage of Bruno le Maire, Minister of the Economy.
“We deny these dates, even specifies the cabinet of Alain Griset.
We never committed to a timeline.
No one, at present, can know how the health situation will develop.
"
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Solicited, Didier Chenet, him, is not so categorical: If this were the case, we would be delighted, because these dates are close to the proposals which we sent to the Prime Minister.
As part of the discussions that are continuing with the government, a letter from the profession evoking its wishes for staggered reopening has in fact, according to our information, been sent to Prime Minister Jean Castex on Friday morning.
Signed by the two large unions in the sector, the GNI and the Union des Métiers de l'Industrie Hôtelière (Umih), but also the Grouping of Hotel Chains (GNC) and the SNRTC (thematic and commercial catering), it returns to the calendar hoped to reopen, with different phases.
A three-step calendar
Whatever the dates ultimately chosen - in any case, it will not be before the containment has had an impact on the circulation of the virus -, remember that professionals in the sector are working, with the government, on a three-step easing. .
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First, only hotel guests would be allowed to have breakfast in the dining room.
Among the hoteliers, we also campaign for dinner.
Deuzio, between three weeks and one month later, cafes and restaurants could welcome their customers on their terraces and inside their establishments, but within the limit of 50% of their capacity.
Finally, the third phase would mark a complete opening of the establishments, without gauge, but of course always in the respect of a reinforced sanitary protocol.
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"We would even like to superimpose the first and the second phase," says the Umih.
A wish that seems to have been heard, since Wednesday, March 31 evening, during his speech, the President of the Republic clearly indicated that the terraces could open first.
“We must remain cautious, however nuance the Ministry of the Economy.
The reopening protocol is being prepared.
It is the Ministry of Health, in view of the health situation, which will say whether it is viable or not.
After a first meeting on this subject on March 16, a second is scheduled in the coming days.