Decisive week, difficult decisions. So is the rather complicated pace the executive’s female and male politicians have been complying with. Less than two weeks after instating curfew from 6 p.m. everywhere in France to fight against the Covid-19 epidemic, the French President and his closest advisers yet have to decide in the coming days on a new nationwide lockdown.
It seems inevitable that measures should be toughened up. At the end of the Defense Council on Wednesday January 27, 2021, government spokesman Gabriel Attal announced the scenario of a “very restricted lockdown” was currently being studied by the executive because of the curfew from 6 p.m. efficacy that has been qualified as “relative”. Moreover, still according to the young minister, “different scenarios” are also being considered: whether “keeping the current framework” he thinks “unlikely” or a new and “very restricted lockdown”.
Even though epidemiologists, doctors and members of the Scientific Committee consider implementing a new lockdown is obvious given the health context, the executive tends to assess the pandemic situation in France before addressing. And for good reason: President Macron and his ministers have decided to take some time before announcing difficult choices. The main reason given: the goal of “reaching the fairest balance between halting the spread of the virus and the French’s lives” Attal explains.
Tough calls – not to be made without having all cards in hands. According to the government “we can learn lessons from curfew in two weeks (the end of the two weeks comes on Saturday January 30)”, Attal explains, before drawing attention to the fact that “so far, its efficacy is relative, and in these conditions, one shall anticipate”.
By the way, Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Monday that “decisions will be made this week, it is not about letting our guard down”. Careful not to decide too soon on such a delicate matter: backstage, Emmanuel Macron’s entourage repeats to the AFP that “nothing has been decided yet” as for a third lockdown, and for now, the president is still trying to “find the right balance”. Anyway, no matter the seriousness of split, there definitely are communication mistakes…
Still backstage at the Elysée palace, another adviser of the president told Le Monde that “data shall show the necessity” of a nationwide and new lockdown. Scenarios of a status quo or a lockdown like in Fall or Spring 2020 are still being discussed. According to France Télévisions political service journalist Alexandre Peyrout, discord is coming. “We see the government is split about the different scenarios. It’s difficult to see things clearly. Ministers speak at the same time not to say the same things” he explains.
Health Minister Olivier Véran rather sums up the situation as follows: “We are at the crossroads. Whether we can control the epidemic, or we can’t. Today, data are not increasing thanks to curfew” he explains. It is understandable why the minister thinks that instating another lockdown can wait.
Besides, some ministers are already excluding the worst. In an interview with Journal du Dimanche, minister of the national education Jean-Michel Blanquer does not seek to hide his will to keep on-site schooling. “School remains essential for our children” the minister says. Closing schools to fight against the virus? “Thinkable in the event of absolute necessity” the former ESSEC director says. So far, the French are expecting governmental decisions this Wednesday.
