Paris (AFP)

Edouard Philippe announced Sunday that he would bring together "again at the beginning of the week" the scientific experts and "the representatives of the political forces" in order to take a decision on the holding of the second round of the municipal elections on March 22, threatened by the crisis of coronavirus.

As for the rumors of announcing total containment of the country on Tuesday, Mr. Véran replied: "We hear a lot of things. If a person has to sign such a decree, I will know."

The Prime Minister for his part stressed that the first round "went perfectly". But "the high rate of abstention that we register, however, testifies to the growing concern of our fellow citizens in the face of the epidemic which strikes us," he added.

He said that "it is by taking into account the opinion of the health authorities that we will organize for the second round". He will meet "again at the beginning of the week the scientific council", then consult "the representatives of the political forces".

"It is in total transparency taking into account the health recommendations and I hope, in a spirit of Republican consensus, that we will take the necessary measures", he concluded.

Government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye confirmed on TF1 that "the process" would be "the same" for the second round as for the first, namely to consult the scientific committee.

If the scientists say that the 2nd round cannot be held "in good conditions", "we will assume and we will follow their recommendation in an obvious way", added Minister Julien Denormandie.

"Obviously for the democratic dynamics of our country, everyone wants the holding of the second round, but everyone puts above all the health of the French," he said on LCI.

EELV MEP Yannick Jadot and president of the Rassemblement national Marine Le Pen on Sunday evening called for the postponement of the second round.

"I believe that neither he (Yannick Jadot, Editor's note), nor I are epidemiologists", retorted the general delegate of LREM Stanislas Guerini on France 2. "We were talking about reassuring our fellow citizens, of being transparent. If we start not to follow the advice of health authorities ... "

The leader of the rebels Jean-Luc Mélenchon, he asked Sunday that the government's decision be "taken as soon as possible", arguing that democracy should not be put "on hold".

© 2020 AFP