POLICY ON THE EVENT OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

From the start of the crisis, on March 16, Emmanuel Macron urged politicians to unite in the fight against the coronavirus, urging "all political actors [...] to join this national unity", far from internal quarrels . This call to "build another project in harmony [...] with all the components of our nation", the President of the Republic reiterated during his speech on April 11.

Lack of " national unity" in the war against the coronavirus

However, the maintenance of the first round of municipal elections in full coronavirus was immediately subject to controversy. In the midst of a pandemic and when confinement was to be announced the day after the election, would it not have been wiser to postpone it?

“National unity cannot be achieved on the back of the French. This is why we continue to denounce the government's lies ”, summarizes the deputy RN for the North Sébastien Chenu. Even if the government tried to be as "transparent" as possible in its management of the health crisis, it was not immune to some lies that the opposition did not fail to emphasize .

So the wearing of the mask supposedly useless at the start to become mandatory today in public transport. Wasn't this lie supposed to hide the negligence of an executive ill-prepared to manage the crisis? The same was true for the shortage of tests when other European countries such as Germany were able to launch an extensive population screening from the start of the pandemic.

The former Minister of Health Roselyne Bachelot, accused of having over-reacted to the H1N1 flu by ordering more than 90 million vaccines, has not failed to take revenge. She defended the precautionary principle. "I was mocked but I am convinced, and the evidence proves it, that the theory of preparation, of maximum preparation, is the right one," she said.

Even the text on the “state of health emergency” is criticized by some opponents. The senatorial right has also announced that it will seize the Constitutional Council on the law of extension of this state of emergency and provides for a commission of inquiry on the health crisis in June.

The most severe crisis of confidence in European countries

While the executive multiplies the media interventions to try to eradicate the distrust of a part of the French, the confidence in the government to face the epidemic knows a drop in most of the polls. It is thus only 39%, according to an Ifop poll published Sunday, May 3, down 16 points compared to mid-March.

This distrust is based on a “feeling of deception” according to Frédéric Dabi, deputy director general of Ifop, evoking the government's hesitations on masks or screenings. France is also the European country most affected by this distrust. According to an Ipsos / Sopra Steria survey for Cevipof published on May 4, 62% of respondents in France say they are "dissatisfied" with government action compared to 26% in Germany, 39% in the United Kingdom, and 45% in Italy.

A group of caregivers has also filed a complaint against the Prime Minister and the former Minister of Health accusing them of having "refrained" from taking timely measures to stem the epidemic of coronavirus. "Agnès Buzyn told us wastes two decisive months "For Thierry Amouroux, spokesperson for the SNPI Professional Nursing Union, the shortage of masks is a" state scandal ". Complaints from associations have also been filed against Édouard Philippe, Olivier Véran or Agnès Buzyn for acts of "endangering the life of others", or "involuntary manslaughter" by associations at the Court of Justice of the Republic.

The weight of medicine in political decision-making

From the start of the pandemic Emmanuel Macron advocated "confidence in science" making decisions after consulting scientists. To do this, he set up on March 11 a scientific council made up of epidemic specialists and on March 24 a committee of researchers this time to work on treatments and screening.

“We are always listening to what scientists tell us. In the end, these are decisions that are not very political, they do not come under a doctrine or an ideology ”, explained about the wearing of the mask the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, on April 30 on LCI. Major decisions such as the maintenance of municipal elections, the closing of schools and even confinement were based on medical expertise. But the political decision prevailed over medical expertise for the reopening of schools announced despite the contrary advice from doctors.

Debt explosion

While the executive has so far defended tooth and nail its liberal economic policy and advocated a drastic reduction in public debt, the pandemic has led it to take decisions contrary to its doctrine. In fact, to support the severely slower economy, the government has drawn aid for businesses and a partial unemployment plan. The 2020 budget has been corrected, up 110 billion euros on the expenditure side, including 24 to finance short-time working and 20 to recapitalize strategic businesses in difficulty. Enough to jump the debt, which should drop to 115% of GDP this year (+ 16 points), but not the politicians. Even the right, traditionally attached to the reduction of public spending, has approved this increase in debt.

A change in economic doctrine facilitated by the abandonment of the rules of budgetary discipline by the European Commission




Joanne Courbet for DayNewsWorld