The few days of break since the eventful adoption by the deputies of the vaccination pass will they have calmed the spirits? Response at the beginning of the week to the Senate, with a right-wing majority, which will examine the bill on Monday January 10 in committee, then Tuesday January 11 in the hemicycle.
With the delay in the initial schedule, due to the delay at the Palais Bourbon, government spokesperson Gabriel Attal believes that the vaccination pass will come into force. “no later than the first days of the week of January 17”, against January 15 initially. Those over 12 will then need to be able to prove their vaccination status to access leisure activities, restaurants and bars, fairs or interregional public transport. A negative test will no longer suffice.
For Prime Minister Jean Castex, the objective is clear: to push further for vaccination, in an unprecedented epidemic situation while the daily average of new infections over seven days is beating record after record.
After three days and nights of agitated debates in the National Assembly, electrified by the controversial remarks of Emmanuel Macron, ready to “piss off the unvaccinated”, the government is not, however, at the end of its sentences. The Senate majority has certainly indicated its intention to vote on the text, but certainly not without making changes.
Senate President Gérard Larcher (LR) was very clear on Friday in an interview with Figaro : “I said, like a large majority of senators, that we would vote for the vaccination pass subject to adjustments, as we had done for the health pass”.
First stage Monday afternoon, with the examination in committee, after the hearing of the Minister of Health Olivier Véran. Unlike the Assembly, the examination of texts in committee takes place in the Senate behind closed doors. For the Law Commission, it will again be Philippe Bas (LR) who will be in charge. The rapporteur should in particular propose a mechanism providing for the termination of the vaccination pass, once certain conditions have been met.
The discussion in the Luxembourg Palace hemicycle will begin on Tuesday afternoon and may continue on Wednesday. This will be the test of truth for the first group of the Senate. Will LR senators follow their leader Bruno Retailleau, who loudly proclaimed his intention to vote for the vaccine pass? Or will they divide like LR MPs?