In the News: Macron strengthens the curfew to ward off new confinement

Audio 04:33

The President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, during his televised address on December 31, 2020 (Illustration) AFP - STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN

By: Norbert Navarro

9 min

Publicity

France, which is giving itself " 

another chance

 " by strengthening the curfew in order to avoid a very early new confinement?

Emmanuel Macron took everyone by surprise.

 " 

We escape the worst,

 " breathes

Nice Matin

.

But unlike this formula inflated with oxygen which bars the front page of this daily newspaper in the south-east of the country, the newspaper

Le Télégramme

, in its far-west, hastens to moderate this positive momentum by noting that France escapes re-containment " 

for the moment ...

 " (with three ellipses that say a lot).

For

Les Latest Nouvelles d'Alsace

also, the measures announced this Friday evening by Jean Castex only “ 

delay the inevitable

 ”.

However, admits this daily from eastern France, we cannot " 

blame the executive for not having tried everything to avoid a new strict confinement of the population

 ".

Suffice to say that, in the French press this morning, each person has their own truth, one who approves, the other who is sorry.

Macron at the helm

This Friday evening, it was Jean Castex who spoke, but to announce " 

the chef's surprise

 ", launches

Le Figaro

.

Not the head of government who is, precisely, the Prime Minister, who therefore spoke from the Elysee Palace, but the great leader, alias Emmanuel Macron, the president having considered that it was

"urgent to 'wait

 ', thus showing that a ' 

prudent choice

 ' could be ' 

daring

 ', appreciates

Le Figaro

.

Daring bet?

According to this newspaper, it is certainly necessary to " 

save lives

 ", and on this point, " 

everyone agrees

 ", admits this daily, but after ten months of atrophied existence, it is also a question of " 

saving the life

 ”, he adds, welcoming the decision of the Head of State in which he discerns a“ 

wise precaution

 ”.

By applauding Emmanuel Macron, this newspaper, without waiting, heard the comments go well.

“ 

Of course

, anticipates

Le Figaro

, we can already hear the sneers of those in the know who ensure that it is only a postponement, that in a week the situation will force us to confine ourselves.

We know the evil joy of those who savor disaster.

In truth, they would like medical expertise to prevail over political decision-making and administrative procedures over common sense.

 "And for this daily, the concise speech of the Prime Minister showed us that the Head of State had" 

taken back control

 ".

Back off to better blow up

France escapes new confinement?

For

Liberation

, it's only a postponement.

And to make itself understood, this daily uses a revolutionary accent, taking up the formula attributed to the Countess du Barry, the last favorite of Louis XV, guillotined during the Terror at the Place de la Révolution in Paris.

La

du Barry

to whom we lend this phrase pronounced on the scaffold: " 

One more moment, Monsieur the executioner!"

".

For

Libé

, therefore, the announcements of Jean Castex this Friday evening can be gathered in a simple formula: " 

One more minute, Mr. hangman

 ".

Suffice to say that, for this newspaper, " 

the executive gives a few more days before the announcement of a third reconfinement

 " and Jean Castex " 

therefore continues the Chinese torture orchestrated by the executive for a week 

".

 The blues of specialists

On the side of experts, criticism is even more bitter, after the measures announced by the Prime Minister.

Or rather the " 

measures

 " of Jean Castex, points

Le Parisien

.

They are " 

gray face

 " because, according to them, said measures " 

will not be enough

 ".

So ?

So, in this daily, an “ 

intimate 

” Emmanuel Macron explains: “ 

The president is trying to hold back decisions as much as possible to give oxygen to the country.

He does not want to give in to panic and even less to injunctions 

”.

"senior leader

 " adds:

"To give yourself a few days of reflection to know whether or not you refine or not and take the field after having already hit two confinements, that is called wisdom.

The media explain to the French that vaccines may not be effective against all variants.

People took a hit on the decanter,

 ”says this source close to the executive at

Le

Parisien

(“ 

decanter

 ”being a loose way of speaking of the“ skull ”, of course).

Macron's measures in the press this morning, a real headache.

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  • Newspaper

  • Emmanuel Macron

  • Confinement

  • Coronavirus

  • Jean Castex