Coronavirus: French government urged for transparency

Text by: Philippe Lecaplain

French caregivers demand the publication of orders for masks made by the State. They also call on the public authorities to make public the orders for screening tests and masks carried out since December.

Publicity

French carers take up the question everyone is asking: but where are the promised masks? Like Saint Thomas, they only believe what they see and doubt the official version of the government which swears to do everything. They therefore demand proof and want to have a right of inspection over the orders for masks and tests for coronavirus. All contracts concluded since December 20.

They invoke the obligation imposed on the administration to publish online or to communicate the documents it holds to persons who request them. Indeed, out of solidarity and in urgency, many companies offer masks, or tests, but do not know what to do so that they arrive in offices or hospitals.

Petition is online

Me Fabrice Di Vizio, the lawyer who represents these caregivers, exasperated at not having the weapons to lead the war mentioned by the Head of State, does not hesitate to speak of " state lie ". He believes that transparency is the only way to partially restore trust between the State and health professionals.

To support this action, a petition is online , launched by a psychologist from Marseille. Lucien Cavalier is " scandalized " by the shortage of masks and basic protection for the medical profession. " It's enough to save money ," he annoys himself. Emergency workers have been on strike for more than a year and are asking for resources! She has already collected nearly 350,000 signatures.

Behind this action, there are 600 health professionals representing the C19 collective, including three members - doctors Philippe Naccache, Emmanuel Sarrazin and Ludovic Toro - who have lodged a complaint with the Court of Justice of the Republic against the Prime Minister and the former Minister of Health. They are based in particular on statements by Agnes Buzyn to the newspaper Le Monde , which claimed, after the first round of municipal elections, to have alerted the Prime Minister in January about the seriousness of the coronavirus epidemic and to have warned him that "the elections could probably not be held ".

These doctors and nurses accuse them of having " refrained " from taking timely action to contain the epidemic. They believe that Edouard Philippe and Agnès Buzyn " were aware of the danger and had the means of action, which they nevertheless chose not to exercise ". Which is punishable by two years' imprisonment and a fine of 30,000 euros. The CJR is the only body empowered in France to judge acts committed by members of the government in the exercise of their functions.

Another procedure was the announcement by Me Khadija Aoudia, lawyer of the Nîmes bar, of the filing of a criminal complaint against the Prime Minister and the Keeper of the Seals on behalf of 31 detainees imprisoned in prisons in the south of France. She considers that, with the exception of the suspension of the visiting rooms, no measures have been put in place to protect prisoners and staff from this virus which has infected ten detainees according to a provisional assessment.

The health crisis becomes a political crisis

These various accusations are relayed by a part of the political opposition, like the president of the National Rally Marine Le Pen who claims that Agnes Buzyn would probably have to give explanations to the CJR. On the proposal of its president Damien Abad, the deputies The Republicans for their part announced their intention to create a parliamentary commission of inquiry in order to shed light on possible dysfunctions.

It will only be active in the fall in order to " preserve national unity in a spirit of responsibility " in the period of health crisis. " Three subjects crystallize the concerns of the French : the shortage of masks, the doctrine of screening tests, and the capacity in terms of beds of our resuscitation services ", underlines Mr. Abad before adding: "We will have to rethink all our political software "after the crisis and that" the policies of public health budget cuts must be abandoned ".

Damien Abad at the JDD: "We are going to create a commission of inquiry in order to learn all the lessons from the epidemic" https://t.co/hvxdpCjDaP pic.twitter.com/P8CxN3rSuT

An idea supported by Gérard Larcher, president of the Senate where the right is the majority. " We must learn the lessons from this crisis and it requires a commission of inquiry, " he said on Wednesday March 25 on France Inter. The day before, at the Assembly, the conference of presidents had set up a fact-finding mission on the management of the epidemic in order to monitor each week the measures taken by the government.

Government ready to "be accountable"

Tuesday evening on France 2, the Prime Minister evoked this controversy: “ A few months ago, there were people who said : "You are doing too much" or "you are not doing enough". In a few months, some will say : "We should have done otherwise " " . " These controversies, I know them, I accept them, " he added.

Wednesday, the Minister of Public Accounts Gérald Darmanin had, him, assured that the State did not know in February that the epidemic of coronavirus was going to lead France to know this situation. " This does not worry me because I believe that we have, with a lot of professionalism, determination and gravity looked at this crisis in the face, " declared for her part at the beginning of the week government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye, adding : " We have taken our responsibilities ".

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