Health Bill: Important decision of the Constitutional Council

“Balanced” for the executive, “disproportionate” for its opponents: The bill aimed at combating the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, along with the controversial extension of the health pass, awaits the Constitutional Council’s decision on Thursday.

The opinion at the end of the noon of the saints of the rue de Montpensier refers, in whole or in part, to the implementation of the government’s strategy. But it can also affect the mobilization and arguments of those who condemn a “libertarian” text.

After six days of heated debate and several changes, the text was adopted by the National Assembly and Senate on 25 July.

The Constitutional Council was then seized by the government and three groups of over 60 MPs – two senators and a deputation -.

If it is validated in whole or for the most part by the Constitution and the guarantors of fundamental liberties, the executive has promised to be implemented swiftly.

The extension of health passes for cafes, restaurants, fairs, trade shows, air travel or long train journeys has been set by the government for Monday. For medical establishments, except in emergencies, or even prefectural decisions, for shopping centers.

Conversely, the rejection of the text or its main provisions would be a major blow to the government, which would be forced to abandon it or submit a new version in two chambers. And a big victory for your opponents.

Between the two, the Constitutional Council may be satisfied with censoring certain technical provisions or modalities, which may be withdrawn from the text to be promulgated later.

– Sensitive measures –

In addition to health passes and its controls on coffee shops, wise people should review a number of other sensitive measures: isolation of infected people, mandatory vaccination of certain personnel, including caregivers, and restrictions against refractory workers.

On May 31, the Constitutional Council had already approved the principle of a health pass – proof of vaccination, testing negative for COVID-19 or a certificate of recovery – but the device was limited to large gatherings such as festivals at the time.

Elysee said it was “not worried” about the fate that would be reserved for this “balanced” text, which was voted on and “enriched” in an assembly and Senate dominated by right-wing opposition.

“Furthermore, we believe there is a good dynamic with the vaccination campaign that is underway” and “strong calls for a presidential immunization for young people”, the presidency estimates, references to the intervention of ‘Emmanuel’ In Macron on the Tik Tok and Instagram networks.

“This increase in vaccination goes along with the expansion of Health Pass” and so “we are rather confident”.

Valerie Rabault, the head of the socialist deputation, who filed an appeal with his communist allies and rebel France, reaffirmed his objections to health passes on the LCI, defending a mandatory vaccination instead.

“We ask employees, restaurant, cafe waiters to control themselves; it’s not their job. We ask volunteers who organize summer events to do the same. Control; it’s not their job, It’s not their responsibility.”

It is necessary that “the state fulfill its missions”, that it “assume its sovereign missions”, continues Mrs. Rabault.

Former number two of FN Florian Philippot, one of the key figures in the anti-health pass protest, for his part declared to AFP that there are “many constitutional principles that are crushed by this law”.

But “the Constitutional Council has not stood out, to say the least, for its ability to go against the government’s decisions so far on the Covid crisis. I don’t have huge hopes for Thursday,” he said.

According to an Elabé poll for the Institut Montaigne, Radio Classic and the newspaper Les Echos, 48% of French people disapprove of demonstrations against health passes, 37% support them and 15% are indifferent.

The majority (55% to 63% depending on whether it is a question of accessing a restaurant or train) are also willing to present this pass upon request, and 61% (39%) in favor of compulsory vaccination. Huh. For this poll released on Wednesday.

The decision comes amid a new wave of the pandemic in France: the number of Covid patients has more than tripled in a week: 8,134 patients in hospitals (against 2,511) and 1,371 patients in critical care (against 992) on Wednesday ). About 54% of the population has a complete immunization programme.

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