Édouard Philippe: "Deconfinement is not for tomorrow"

"Deconfinement is not for tomorrow", warned Thursday April 2 Prime Minister Édouard Philippe, warning that the containment measures in force since March 17 in France to try to contain the epidemic of coronavirus would be "probably" prolonged beyond.

"I understand the impatience but the deconfinement is not for tomorrow morning," said the head of government on TF1. "It is the logic of confinement which must prevail, it must prevail at least until April 15 and perhaps longer if the health regulations require it."

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And to continue, "when I say maybe longer, it's probably longer," he added.

The bac should be organized "in a completely new and original way"

The chief executive then addressed the issue of the baccalaureate. He recognized that it would not be possible for high school students to "pass the bac under normal conditions", seeming to favor the track of a "continuous assessment" complete to sanction or not the examination.

"The interruption of classes and classes will have an impact on everyone's ability to respect the entire program," admitted Edouard Philippe. "It is therefore a given that the events will not be able to take place in June as every year".

Consequently, the bac 2020 tests will have to be organized "in a completely new and original way", said the Prime Minister. "Either they will take place on the basis of continuous monitoring, based on the first and second quarters. And if prices can resume in good conditions during the month of May or June, then the last quarter" will also count.

The hypothesis of a new postponement of the municipal

Édouard Philippe also raised the hypothesis of a new postponement of the second round of municipal elections to "October" or "after", according to what will say the progress report on the epidemic of coronavirus which must be published on 23 may.

This possible new postponement of the second round, initially scheduled for March 22 and postponed to June 21, was discussed during a videoconference Thursday morning between Edouard Philippe and the presidents of political parties, heads of parliamentary groups and associations of elected officials .

"The decision to organize or not the second round on June 21 will be taken on May 23 after a report which will allow to say at that time if it is possible to organize it" on this date, reminded the Prime Minister.

"If possible, the second round of municipal elections will be held on this date. If we note in May that in June it is not possible to organize the second round, which many observers or actors in political life sense or feel (...), it will be necessary to postpone this election, maybe in October, maybe after ", he said.

Such a decision, which will require a repeat of the first round where the candidates have not already been elected, could also imply postponing also the senatorial elections scheduled for September.

Strict controls for the holidays

The Prime Minister urged the French not to go on Easter holidays and to continue to respect the compulsory confinement in force since March 17 and until April 15, in order to ensure that "the dyke holds up".

"Strict controls" will therefore be carried out to prevent the start of the school holidays from resulting in journeys that would "ruin the collective effort" provided for three weeks, he continued. "We are in a long hard fight, that the dyke holds, we must all together make sure that it continues to hold."

With AFP

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