Les senateurs, majoritairement de droite, ont rétabli mercredi soir une possibilité de recurs à un contrôle sanitaire aux frontières in case of emergence d’un variant dangereux du Covid-19, even if for voyages Outre-mer, which avait été supprimée par the deputies.
In the National Assembly, the “health surveillance and security” bill had been amputated from this key article, by a conjunction of votes from RN, LR and a majority of the Nupes left-wing alliance.
The Senate, which in turn examines the text at first reading, approved by 236 votes against 27 the toughened device proposed by the rapporteur LR Philippe Bas, modified in session.
“A very marginal, very rare device”
It comes in two separate devices. The first refers to travelers from foreign countries. In the event of the appearance of a particularly dangerous new variant of Covid, the government could impose the presentation of a negative test on boarding. This for one month, requiring a further Parliament vote.
A second similar device could be applied to trips to overseas communities “in case of risk of saturation” of their health system.
The speaker defended “a very marginal, very exceptional device”, without which “the only alternative” would be the ban on flights from the country in question, or the quarantine of all passengers upon arrival in France.
Laurence Muller-Bronn, related to LR, a signatory with 9 colleagues of a recent forum against the bill, denounced “an inflation of restrictions” that “will once again weigh the lives of the French and travelers”.
Only negative test allowed
Various methods of application have been discussed. The Senate rejected by 187 votes against 151 amendments presented by various groups, including centrists, to restore the possibility of producing, not only a negative test, but also a proof of vaccination or recovery from Covid.
The Minister of Health, François Braun, was in favor, considering that these supporting documents “still make medical sense.” Daniel Chasseing (Independents) considered “essential to continue encouraging the population to get vaccinated.”
Philippe Bas, together with Alain Richard (RDPI with majority En Marche) argued that “the vaccine currently only acts as a barrier against contamination in a third of cases”. “As long as a safety net is established as much as it is effective,” he added.
Denouncing “an unacceptable step backwards”, the leader of the PS group, Patrick Kanner, affirmed that the rapporteur’s motivation is not “only scientific”, but also political, to meet an expectation of the LR deputies. The main change made to the commission’s text is the introduction, at the initiative of Philippe Bonnecarrère (centrist) and Thani Mohamed Soilihi (RDPI), of the possibility of a check for people from overseas communities.
Source: BFM TV
