Despite the confinement, Emmanuel Macron will maintain Friday at the Elysée the traditional ceremony of handing-over of the lily of the valley of May 1, but in small committee, in full crash of the producers of lily of the valley paralyzed by the closure of the florists.
It is not a reception but an appointment with less than a dozen people, "adapted to health conditions", said the Elysee. It is the first time since confinement that a ceremony will be organized there, 10 days before the start of deconfinement. Traditional lily of the valley will be offered to the president on Friday at noon by representatives of the horticultural sector and the president of the Rungis market Stéphane Layani.
400 guests last year
Last year, this ceremony was the occasion of a large reception in the hall of the Palace, with 400 representatives of the food industry around a giant buffet offered by the producers of Rungis. It was already happening in a complicated context, the day of a demonstration of 40,000 people in Paris, at the call of union organizations, interspersed with clashes with the police on the sidelines of the rally.
This year, horticulturalists, who end up with hectares of flowers on their arms, have vainly asked the government to open florists on May 1. Selling on the street, tolerated each year, is also prohibited.
On sale in bakeries and supermarkets
As a consolation, they obtained the power to sell the strands in open stores. Bakeries and supermarkets should therefore be able to offer thrush to the French on Friday. Florists can also sell them remotely.
Read our coronavirus file
But the federation of market gardeners from Nantes, which brings together producers based on the outskirts of Nantes, where more than 80% of the lily of the valley sold in France grows, already estimates that more than 70% of the 60 million sprigs of lily of the valley usually sold, which had been planted before containment, will be lost this year.
Toulouse
Coronavirus in Toulouse: Florists will be able to sell lily of the valley… but outside their doors
Society
Coronavirus: Can we (and where?) Buy thrush on May 1?
- Trade
- Confinement
- Flowers
- Society
- Emmanuel Macron
- Covid 19
- Coronavirus