There is consensus on the proposal. The political class unanimously agrees in favor of free masks in schools, colleges and high schools. Most recent: the patron of deputies Les Républicains (LR). " I want masks to be made available free of charge in schools, colleges and high schools, because students simply cannot afford to buy them by themselves, " Damien Abad said on France Info on Tuesday morning. On the other hand, he " is not in favor of the general free admission of masks for the entire French population ".
For many weeks now, from La France Insoumise (LFI) to the National Rally (RN), political leaders have been urging the executive to establish free masks throughout the country. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the boss of the Insoumis, once again called for free masks in his speech at the party's summer days on Sunday. “ If masks are compulsory at school, they must be free. Because school in our country is free and compulsory ”, recalled the leader of LFI. Several elected Communists, including the deputy Sébastien Jumel, made the same request in an open letter addressed to Prime Minister Jean Castex.
In the ranks of the Socialist Party (PS), Valérie Rabault, president of the Socialist deputies in the National Assembly, asked that a free “ quota of masks ” be given to each citizen.
" Schools must have their stocks of masks and when the kids arrive at school, they have a mask issued by the school, college or high school ", demanded Yannick Jadot, environmental MEP, on France Info this Tuesday.
For the former socialist minister Ségolène Royal, interviewed on France 2, “ there must be an agreement between the State and the local communities […] and there must be a sharing of this responsibility for the expense for families ”.
On the other side of the political spectrum, the RN wants a " clarification " of the doctrine on the management of masks. We must " these masks are free for the French population. We can not have a health discrimination between homes that can afford masks and be protected and those who can not ”, pleaded Laurent Jacobelli, spokesman for the party, last Tuesday on France Info.
Voices for the majority
What about the majority? Sunday, Lionel Causse, the LREM deputy for Landes, asked the government to distribute free " alternative masks for all middle school, high school and student " for a period of 10 to 12 weeks. Cost of the measure: around 150 million euros. The vice-president of the National Assembly, and LREM deputy of Paris, Hugues Renson, gave him his support.
For the moment, Jean-Michel Blanquer has limited the free mask to families " in great difficulty ", on a case by case basis. But, according to Le Monde , Emmanuel Macron and Jean Castex - meeting in defense council on Tuesday - would not close the door to the State taking charge of masks, given the health risks hanging over the re-entry. At the same time, the Minister of National Education continues to speak out against. “ The spirit is to have a set of washable masks for all the students, it's part of the class supplies. The school allowance has been increased by 100 euros, it is considerable, it is one of the great social progress of the start of the school year, ”he insisted on RMC on Monday.
Others did not wait for a decision from the executive: departments and regions will cover this expense for families. In Occitanie, Hauts-de-France, or even Ile-de-France, high school students will be offered textile masks. In Seine-Saint-Denis, Essonne, and Deux-Sèvres, it will be college students who will be granted masks.