Edouard Philippe, March 21, 2020 at the Assembly. - Ludovic MARIN / POOL / AFP

  • Despite a call for national union, the government is not spared criticism of its management of the coronavirus crisis.
  • Oppositions from all sides, and part of the health community, deplore the lack of masks and screening tests, or judge the containment measures implemented on March 17 not strict enough.
  • Faced with these questions, the executive assumes its positions. However, the communication of certain ministers poses a problem.

The "national union" was brief. Since the start of the coronavirus crisis in France, the government has been criticized by the opposition and local elected officials for its management of the pandemic and its implementation of measures to prevent its spread. Shortage of masks, lack of Covid-19 screening tests and lax containment measures are the main criticisms.

On Sunday, parliamentarians The Republicans announced that they would create a parliamentary commission of inquiry in the fall in order to "learn all the lessons from the epidemic". This Monday, they sent an open letter to the government, questioning in particular the functioning of the Scientific Council (which advises the executive) or the screening strategy. Sunday, the Council of State gave 48 hours to the executive to clarify certain derogations of displacement "with an ambiguous character", increasing the pressure on a majority embarrassed by its sometimes contradictory communication.

Masks and screening tests, two thorny files

The Philippe government is facing an unpredictable trial on the part of political oppositions. Two subjects particularly sparked the debate, masks and screening tests.

"There is of course the issue of mask stocks [diminished in recent years], but also that of flows, on which the current government will not be able to clear customs on its predecessors," said Damien Abad, leader of LR deputies. "When were the new orders placed?" How were the masks requisitioned and how were they distributed? "Wonders the elected official of Ain.

The right is also stepping up on the issue of Covid-19 testing. "We are for massive screening, Korean style, in order to avoid a second epidemic wave," pleads Damien Abad, pointing to "errors" made by the executive on this subject. The right intends to question the government during the question period scheduled for Tuesday in the Assembly, but it will wait until the fall to launch a parliamentary committee of inquiry.

On the left, the boss of the PS Olivier Faure also deplored the lack of masks and tests and called on the executive to "complete transparency in the choices made". On the rebellious side, Jean-Luc Mélenchon estimated "that there has been an underestimation, or perhaps the adhesion to a scheme faced with the epidemic which turns out to be extremely dangerous".

The vagueness on confinement

Oppositions are also harsh on measures imposed by the government since March 17. The president of the National Rally Marine Le Pen calls for the establishment of "a curfew from 8 pm" to enforce confinement, while the socialist mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo wants confinement "much more severe".

Doctors support these complaints. A group of carers filed a complaint Thursday against Edouard Philippe and the former Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn, accusing them of having "refrained" from taking measures in time. The main union of medical interns (Isni) demanded a tightening of the confinement and seized in summary proceedings the Council of State on this subject. The institution partially agreed, asking the government to review certain travel permits.

Communication hiccups

To these criticisms is added a sometimes problematic government communication. “Since the beginning of this crisis, the government has given a feeling of floating. It issues regular contradictory injunctions and gives the impression of chasing time, ”observes Bruno Cautrès, research director at CNRS. According to the researcher, these contradictions concern the call to go to vote, while the elderly were invited to stay at home, or the discourse on work despite confinement.

"The government says both that those who can must go to work, but that France has never known such a dangerous epidemic in a century. There are also counter-intuitive comments from the government spokesperson on the wearing of the mask, ”continues the political scientist.

Some ministerial speeches sow according to him "confusion", such as the mention of a resumption of classes on May 4 by Jean-Michel Blanquer this Monday, while it is unknown when the confinement will be lifted. Others are "unwelcome" and give the impression of a "disconnected" political power, like the words of Muriel Pénicaud, the Minister of Labor, on the construction sector, or those of the Minister of Public Accounts Gérald Darmanin inviting the French to ask for their paid holidays during confinement.

Poster government not afraid to "be held accountable"

Criticized, the government displays its serenity. This Monday, his spokesman Sibeth Ndiaye said on Cnews that the government had "taken responsibility" and was not afraid to "be accountable" before a future parliamentary commission of inquiry. She also denied any short-sightedness. "We cannot say that there was a failure to anticipate this crisis, on the contrary," she defended herself.

"We probably do not do everything perfectly, because we do not know everything," admitted Emmanuel Macron, Sunday, in an interview in the Sunday Journal . "But every day, we try to correct the errors" that we made the day before, continued the head of state, who sent his Prime Minister this Monday evening to the TF1 to explain "the decisions taken by the government to that »the rules of confinement« are better respected ».

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  • Covid 19
  • Containment
  • Coronavirus