French parliament approves vaccine passport.
QUICK FACTS:
- France’s parliament gave final approval on Sunday to the government’s latest Covid-19 response, including a vaccine pass, according to Reuters.
- Lower house parliament legislators voted 215 in favor (58 against, 7 abstaining), the law entering force in the coming days.
- The new law will require people to have a certificate of vaccination to enter public places like restaurants, cafes, cinemas, and long-distance trains, Reuters notes.
- The law was met by opposition from conservative parties who believe the passport will effectively create a “sub-citizenship.”
- The decision was contested by anti-vaccine protestors, thousands of whom demonstrated in Paris and some other cities on Saturday against the law, according to Reuters.
OPPOSITION:
- Conservative presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, who opposed the vaccine pass proposal, said France’s President Macron wants “to wage war against a portion of the French,” The Los Angeles Times reports.
- Another conservative candidate, Eric Zemmour, accused Macron of “cruelty.”
BACKGROUND:
- Currently, unvaccinated people can enter public places with the results of a recent negative Covid-19 test, Reuters notes.
- Nearly 78% of the population is fully vaccinated, according to the Health Ministry.
- President Emmanuel Macron told Le Parisien this month that he wanted to “piss off” unvaccinated people by making their lives so complicated they would surrender and take the vaccine.
