The Senate dominated by the right-wing opposition gave the green light on Tuesday, May 18 for the creation by the government of a "
health pass
", however with new guarantees, and despite the hostility of some elected officials from all sides.
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The upper house voted at first reading, by 221 votes for and 109 against, article 1 of the bill implementing a transitional exit regime from the state of emergency and the health pass. This tool must make access to large gatherings or certain places subject to the presentation of a negative virus screening result, or proof of vaccination, or even a certificate of recovery after contamination.
The senators specified that it could only be implemented in places which, because of their configuration or the nature of the activities they host, do not make it possible to ensure respect for barrier gestures.
It could be presented in paper or digital form and the medical information to which those authorized to control it would have access would be restricted.
No gauge conditioning the request for a health pass
In the hemicycle, a new series of guarantees was adopted by way of PS amendments, including the authorization by the prefect of the persons authorized to carry out checks.
The Senate, on the other hand, opposed the inclusion in the law of a gauge conditioning the possibility of requesting a health pass.
The Minister of Health Olivier Véran recalled that the government "
has spoken clearly
" so that the health pass only targets events above 1000 people. But he asked not to "
rigidify
" the drafting, so as to allow "
flexibility
" for events "
a little below
" this gauge, but "
with a strong mixing
" of population.
The majority-communist CRCE group was categorically opposed to the health pass, as were about thirty senators from different sides.
"
The danger of tilting into the society of generalized surveillance is real
", argued the centrist Loïc Hervé, while Laurent Duplomb (LR) affirmed that "
we will sort between first-zone and second-zone citizens
".
"
This health pass is a vaccine pass that does not say its name
", added Alain Houpert (LR), regretting that the first article is "
a Trojan horse for the health pass
".
Read also: A European health pass "available at the end of June", according to Clément Beaune
Senator RDPI (majority En Marche) Alain Richard has also criticized the government, criticizing "
the deplorable choice it has made to include in a single article one fifteen substantive provisions
". Examination of the text will continue in the evening.
