French National Assembly approves introduction of vaccine passports

The lower house of the French parliament - the National Assembly – has approved in the first reading a bill establishing a vaccine pass, Report informs with reference to Interfax.

After a three-day debate, 214 deputies voted for the bill, 93 voted against it, 27 abstained.

Now a bill converting a sanitary pass into a vaccine one is due to be considered by the Senate early next week. The government had hoped to enact the law on January 15, but the protracted debate in the National Assembly is likely to move that deadline, Le Figaro reported.

Discussion in the lower house was interrupted, including following the statement of President Emmanuel Macron, who declared his desire to ‘piss off' unvaccinated citizens, which was perceived by the opposition MPs as an insult to the French.

Speaking on January 5 in the House at the request of the deputies, Prime Minister Jean Castex called on lawmakers to show responsibility in view of the difficult epidemiological situation in the country, Europe and the world.

At a December 27 meeting of the Council of Ministers chaired by President Macron, the French government identified new measures to counter coronavirus infection, including the introduction of a vaccine pass from January 15.

The bill, voted for by the National Assembly, envisages the obligation to present a vaccine pass in restaurants, bars, seminars or conferences, in places of leisure and in interregional transport.

COVID-19 vaccination is required to obtain a vaccine pass. A negative test, as for a valid sanitary pass, is no longer enough.