"A resumption of the shows, but not on any condition!"

LE FIGARO - Are you satisfied with Edouard Philippe's announcements ?

Malika SEGUINEAU: We were surprised by these announcements and have a lot of question marks. It seems that theaters in the green zone will reopen on Tuesday June 2 and June 22 for those in the orange zone. And this, regardless of gauge. Clearly, the Zénith de Nantes can welcome the public from next week and the Duc des Lombards in Paris in three weeks.

In March, all the concerts were postponed to June and then to the start of the school year or even in 2021. Will there be artists on stage in such a short time?

That's all the worry. The places will be able to reopen but they have no more programming! No artists, no technical teams. I'm not even talking to you about international artists, Americans, English or Asians. They cannot fly, our borders outside Schengen are closed. And then you need spectators. For that, you have to sell tickets. In such a short period of time, it is complicated.

How are we going to go into concert with the rules of social distancing?

These measures which consist in separating spectators of 1.2 or 4 meters are the antithesis of our profession. We create gatherings. We have all seen the photos of rooms circulating on social networks with the armchairs spaced and the rows empty. We have been working on the health protocol for weeks. We would have liked the Prime Minister to announce a recovery but not under any conditions. It should be understood that removing chairs or spacing people upright is to reduce the gauge. Our economic model will not hold up. It is based entirely on the sale of tickets. We must also think about artists. They will play in front of sparse rooms? The performing arts are artists facing an audience.

According to Matignon, in the event of Covid-19 in a concert hall, the operator will be liable and may be sued?

This is another point that bothers me. It's very dangerous. It reminds me of the post-attack measures where we were told, you are not forbidden to open, it is you who decide. If the owners of concert halls can be brought to court, this is a real problem.

Open-air concerts of more than 5,000 people are still prohibited, but do we have the right to receive 5,000 spectators in a covered place?

It's incomprehensible. Until now, indoor and outdoor locations have been treated the same.

You have published a study on the consequences of the pandemic on the concert and entertainment sector. One in two societies risks disappearing at the start of the school year. What do you expect from the government?

We must continue to support us with full-time partial unemployment until August 2021 and the deferral of charges. We are also asking for a real backup plan of 250 million euros to deal with the colossal losses that cannot be absorbed before 2017, according to the EY study. Otherwise, the social breakdown will be terrible.

What are you going to do ?

The decrees are to be published this weekend. I have 48 hours to move the cursors in Matignon, Bercy and the Ministry of Culture.