Emmanuel Macron assumed on Tuesday January 4 that he wanted to “piss off” the unvaccinated against Covid-19. If this sentence caused an uproar in the ranks of the opposition, it shows a desire to tighten the screws to push the unvaccinated to make an appointment. A strategy shared by several European countries.
Since mid-November, Germany has for the first time banned access to unvaccinated people in certain places by applying the “2G” rule. These are the initials, in German, for two groups: vaccinated and cured of Covid. Gone is the possibility for non-vaccinated people to be tested to enter bars or restaurants, the door has been closed to them, as in some places of recreation. This applies when the hospitalization index begins to get carried away, to stretch and reach the first threshold of 3 in the region where one lives. And this symbolically strong decision to exclude part of the population will remain as the last measure taken by Angela Merkel during this health crisis, just before she leaves the chancellery. A decision that makes her little appreciated among the unvaccinated, or “corona-skeptic” as they are called here, because for them it is synonymous with loss and infringement of freedom.
Another measure had particularly shocked in Germany, and this time in the whole population: the curfew imposed for three weeks. Angela Merkel was therefore easily the target of the demonstrators, a fringe of whom is led by the far-right AfD party and who has always, nothing new, hated Merkel, previously because of her welcoming policy towards refugees.
What one can say about him as about the new Chancellor Olaf Scholz is that both have not had and do not have hurtful words towards any part of the population. They tirelessly repeat the recommendation to get vaccinated, hoping that the message will eventually get through. We can still feel a form of annoyance in the new social-democratic chancellor who pledged to make vaccination compulsory. MBut this could be the first broken promise of Chancellor Scholz because the parliamentary calendar seems untenable. Olaf Scholz nevertheless believes it is still possible for this vaccination obligation to come into force towards the end of March.
This proposal also revives the demonstrations in the country resulting in something rarer here sometimes violent clashes with the police. Undeclared demonstrations that often take place on Mondays like Monday, January 10. This compulsory vaccination project only seems to open even more the breach which now separates the population. And could also divide the new coalition government since the liberals of the FDP have no desire to oblige anyone. It’s in their DNA. This also raises questions among many elected Greens but also among the Social Democrats of the SPD, the party of Chancellor Scholz.
In Italy, the government is also tightening the screw against unvaccinated citizens. Since this morning, they no longer have the right to do much. The strongest measure is the ban on taking the bus, metro, train, plane. Impossible to go to work by public transport for example, you have to take your car, a bike, a taxi, etc. One exception only: school transport!
It is no longer possible to go to a restaurant, even on the terrace, you have to show your vaccination pass to sit at the table and even to have a coffee. “al volo”, at the counter like many Italians do. No gym either, impossible to go swimming in a pool, or to go to the cinema or the theater. You even need a vaccination pass to enter a museum. And we also forget tourism or travel for the unvaccinated because hoteliers no longer have the right to accept them.
The Italians that our correspondent was able to meet are all in favor – it must be said that they were all already vaccinated – they are even in favor of compulsory vaccination for the entire population. And that’s actually Mario Draghi’s goal. Except that he must compose in his government With l’extreme-right of Matteo Salvini and with the 5 Star Movement, who are both opposed to it. So we are going little by little with, for the moment, an obligation only for the over 50s, for all the staff and teachers of the nursery at the university, for the health personnel, the police and the army.
For those over 50, a special fine of 100 euros has been introduced by the tax authorities themselves, which will find you to make you pay. This fixed fine is in addition to those already in vigor, but which depend on the controls of the police. These range from 400 to 1500 euros.
This more repressive strategy seems to work in any case, according to General Figliuolo who coordinates the vaccination campaign. Last Saturday, 70,000 first doses were administered, 60% more than the daily average. And this is especially seen in those over 50, whose vaccination obligation was announced two days ago: the number of first-time injections in those over 50 has tripled! For them, there is no queue and the vaccination centers are even open at night.