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Demonstration against stricter virus rules (in Paris on July 24th)
Photo: IAN LANGSDON / EPA
The delta variant of the corona virus is also on the rise in France.
In order to counteract the increasing number of infections, the parliament has passed the law creating compulsory vaccinations for employees in the health care system and the expansion of the so-called health passport.
With 156 votes in favor, 60 against and 14 abstentions, the text was adopted by the National Assembly late on Sunday evening.
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in France over the weekend against the tightening.
The Senate had already approved the law before the National Assembly.
The final version of the legal text had been struggled for days.
After a series of changes to the original bill, MPs and senators finally agreed on a compromise text on Sunday afternoon after a four-hour session.
President Emmanuel Macron announced the tightened measures in mid-July.
The government wants to curb the massive increase in corona infections from the highly contagious Delta variant.
The law that has now been passed provides for mandatory vaccination for health and care workers as well as firefighters and other rescue workers.
Contrary to what the government has proposed, objectors in these professions are not threatened with dismissal, but only with a suspension of their wages.
No theater or cinema visit without a pass
With the expansion of the health passport, which provides information about a vaccination or a negative test, compulsory testing for non-immunized persons in French restaurants and long-distance trains will apply for the first time from August.
In cinemas, theaters or museums, a vaccination, a survived infection or a negative corona test must be proven since Wednesday.
More than 160,000 people protested against the stricter rules in France on Saturday.
In Paris, the demonstrators chanted, among other things, "freedom, freedom" and called for the overthrow of President Macron, whom they described as a "tyrant".
However, the demonstrators do not represent the majority of the population: In a survey by the Elabe Institute for the broadcaster BFMTV on July 13, 76 percent of the French spoke out in favor of compulsory vaccination for health workers.
The expansion of the health pass also met with a majority of approval.
jok / AFP