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Health pass: the Senate wants to impose a "review clause"

2021-10-28T02:31:55.065Z


The senators largely rewrote the text in committee and adopted the proposal of rapporteur Philippe Bas (LR) to extend the pass until February 28, instead of November 15.


No blank check until the summer: the Senate dominated by the right-wing opposition is preparing to introduce Thursday, October 28 a

"review clause"

in the bill including the controversial health pass, which would impose on the government to return to Parliament before the end of February.

Read also The majority tested by the vote on the health pass

Presented by the government as a

"toolbox"

, the text aims to extend beyond November 15 the possibility of using the health pass and a whole battery of measures to curb the Covid-19 epidemic, in the context of 'a post-crisis regime until July 31, 2022. Adopted at first reading last week in the National Assembly after heated debates, the text arrives Thursday in the chamber of the Senate which, in terms of measures custodial rights, makes regular control by Parliament an essential condition.

"There is no question of giving a blank check until July 31, 2022, it must be under the control of Parliament"

, insists the LR president of the Senate Gérard Larcher.

The senators largely rewrote the text in committee and adopted the proposal of rapporteur Philippe Bas (LR) to extend the provisions until February 28 only.

It is up to the government to return to Parliament to continue beyond, if the health situation so requires.

The rapporteur considers that

“three and a half months is fine, eight and a half months is too much”

.

A state of mind generally shared by senators.

"The government tells us

" we are going to step over the presidential elections and we will go back to Parliament. "

No.

We give the government a certain number of powers over our freedoms, we want control of Parliament, ”

said senator leader LR Bruno Retailleau.

The unknowns of the post-election period

"It is a marker of the Senate"

, adds the president of the centrist group Hervé Marseille, who underlines the unknowns of the post-election period:

"Which president? Which ministers? What majority? ”

On the left, the boss of the PS senators Patrick Kanner is on the same line on this point, criticizing the executive for

"its logic of concentration of power"

.

On the other hand, the question of the health pass is debated. The rapporteur proposes that it can no longer be used in the departments which will have, by November 15, more than 75% of their population vaccinated (ie roughly 90% of those over 12). This proposal

"was felt in a nuanced way by the senatorial majority"

, according to Hervé Marseille. The majority has in its ranks affirmed "anti-pass", such as the centrist Loïc Hervé. On the left, the Socialists will propose to go further, believing that the health pass

"no longer has any reason to exist in metropolitan France"

, according to Marie-Pierre de La Gontrie.

The Minister of Health Olivier Véran believes that he does not have

"sufficient perspective at this stage"

to be able to

"deprive himself of a tool which is functional, which is very well accepted by people"

.

"Which does not mean that we want to maintain it over time

," he said Tuesday before the senators.

“The question is not to know what such and such thinks, but today we are totally in control of the virus. The answer is no ”

, tackled Christophe Castaner, the boss of deputies En Marche, on Sud Radio on Wednesday. As everywhere in Europe, the epidemic is experiencing a rebound in France, at the start of the cold season. Government spokesman Gabriel Attal confirmed on Wednesday

"A slight but sensitive recovery", with 5,400 cases detected per day on average, but estimated that France can hope for "a relatively serene winter"

thanks to its vaccination rate.

Read alsoThe extension of the health pass until July 31 is "not democratic", believes Philippe Bas

The Senate should also remove the controversial provision introduced by amendment to the National Assembly to allow knowledge of the vaccination status of students by school principals or secondary school principals.

For Philippe Bas, this

“new exemption from medical confidentiality”

is

“likely to foreshadow the implementation of a health pass for students”

.

Once the text has been voted in the Senate, with its modifications, deputies and senators will try to agree on a common version in a joint committee.

In case of failure, the National Assembly will have the last word.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2021-10-28

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