The French Parliament has voted against the introduction of domestic Covid vaccine passports, but officials seem determined to find a way to pass them into law regardless. 20minutes has the story (translated from French by Google Translate).
Against all odds, the National Assembly voted on Tuesday against the key article of the bill on the way out of the Covid health crisis. This is the article including the controversial “health pass”.
The scales tilted against the bill after the Democratic Movement (MoDem) party split from members of La République En Marche! (LREM) to protest against the vagueness of the text. The Deputies rejected Article One by 108 votes against 103. “There was no dialogue” on “the red lines” of the text… explained Philippe Latombe of MoDem, stressing the unanimity of his group against the article.
After this surprise rejection, French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on France 2 that the Deputies were going to deliberate again on Tuesday evening in order to “find an agreement with the majority” and “to settle this problem”.
The bill on “management of the exit from the health crisis” sets a transition period from June 2nd to October 31st during which the Government can continue to exercise powers deemed exorbitant by the opposition and some defenders of public freedoms.
Article One, rejected by the deputies… provided for a health pass which would make access to large gatherings or certain places subject to the presentation of a negative test result, or a proof of vaccination, or a certificate of recovery.
It sparked heated debate on Monday night. For large gatherings requiring the “pass”, a limit of 1,000 people has been promised by the Government but without setting it in stone in the law.
Stanislas Guerini, the Executive Officer of LREM, said in response to this vote: “I regret it because I am resolutely in favour of the introduction of the health pass: it will allow us to regain our freedoms more quickly… There may be a second reading in the National Assembly. We will have to find a way to introduce this tool.”
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