The National Assembly adopted on Wednesday February 14 at first reading a text to combat sectarian abuses, particularly on the internet, ultimately approving the creation of a new offense of
"provocation to withholding
medical care", despite the indignation of part of the opposition.
The bill was passed by 151 votes to 73 and will continue its parliamentary journey.
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Faced with
“gurus 2.0”
and their false promises of curing cancer with
“lemon juice”
, the executive is calling for this new offense which will punish
“provocation”
to the abandonment of care
“by means of pressure or repeated maneuvers »
, exposing it to
“serious consequences”
for health.
But it took two votes to obtain the approval of the National Assembly.
Threat to “public liberties”
Tuesday evening, a coalition of oppositions rejected the article, as the Senate did at the end of 2023. LFI, LR and RN deputies denounce a threat to
“public freedoms”
and to
“whistleblowers”
who criticize the 'pharmaceutical industry.
Despite the protests in the hemicycle, Renaissance deputy Sacha Houlié requested a new deliberation on Wednesday, on behalf of the Law Committee of which he is president.
The announcement of this second vote provoked indignation among detractors of the article, with points of order and suspensions of the session.
RN Thomas Ménage criticized the presidential camp for
“disregarding the vote of popular representation”
.
Modified by the deputies, the article was finally adopted by 182 votes to 137, with the support of the PS in particular.
The socialist Arthur Delaporte welcomed the return of this measure,
“more necessary than ever”
to
“defend science”
while
“people are saying unacceptable things on social networks”
.
It was rewritten so that it
“does not apply to whistleblowers”
, underlined Renaissance rapporteur Brigitte Liso.
This new offense of provocation to abandon or abstain from treatment would be punishable by one year of imprisonment and a fine of 30,000 euros, penalties increased to three years of imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euros when the provocation was followed by effects.
Secretary of State Sabrina Agresti-Roubache underlined
the “evolution”
of sectarian excesses, in particular the
“conspiracy sphere”
on the internet.
Véran against Le Pen
The electric atmosphere has revived the wounds of the heated debates on the health pass and vaccines against Covid, with several skirmishes with the far right.
Having become a simple deputy again, the former Minister of Health and government spokesperson Olivier Véran also attacked at the end of the session the
"gurus"
and the controversial professor Didier Raoult, discredited by his peers after having made the promotion of hydroxychloroquine during the pandemic.
“Are there not a few ministers who were treated by Professor Raoult?”
, replied Marine Le Pen, in reference to Sabrina Agresti-Roubache, who had been taken care of by Mr. Raoult and had praised her treatment.
Among health professionals, the order of doctors supports the bill in the face of the illegal practice of medicine.
Doctors
“need these tools”
, agrees the No FakeMed collective, which nevertheless insists on prevention and support for health actors and
“well-being professionals”
.
In the Macronist ranks, some wonder if the attitude of Sabrina Agresti-Roubache in the hemicycle on Tuesday did not contribute to the stormy atmosphere.
Creation of a new offense
“It’s not impossible
,” slips an elected official.
The Secretary of State upset the majority by not opposing certain RN amendments on Tuesday evening.
The president of the Renaissance group Sylvain Maillard had requested a suspension of the session to discuss with Ms. Agresti-Roubache and
“calm things down”
, according to a deputy.
Unlike the Senate, the Assembly validated a new offense of placement or maintenance in a state of
"psychological subjection"
, in order to better understand the
"specificities of sectarian influence"
, according to the government.
This bill also makes abuse of weakness committed by means of a digital or electronic medium an aggravating circumstance, and intends to better protect minors with extended limitation periods.
Renaissance rapporteur Brigitte Liso underlines that
“the number of reports”
of sectarian aberrations has
“almost doubled between 2015 and 2021”
, with 4,020 recorded in 2021.