Paris (AFP)
The municipal councils elected in the first round of municipal elections on March 15 in more than 30,000 municipalities will be installed "no later than Thursday, May 28," said Edouard Philippe Tuesday at the National Assembly.
The decree providing for their installation will be published on Friday May 15. "He will set the date on which municipal and community councilors will take office on Monday, May 18," said the Prime Minister during the questions to government session.
"Or, between Saturday, May 23 and Thursday, May 28. In other words, no later than Thursday, May 28, 30,000 of the 35,000 French municipalities will have a municipal council installed and a mayor and deputies elected under normal conditions," said Edouard Philippe.
After advice from the scientific council, the government gave the green light on Tuesday morning to install the municipal councils elected in the first round.
The government considers that the provisions in force as part of the state of health emergency and an order to come Wednesday in the Council of Ministers "will allow the implementation of the recommendations of the committee of scientists", which recommended compliance strict sanitary conditions.
The installation of the municipal councils elected in the first round had been postponed, as well as the holding of the second round, scheduled for March 22, due to the health crisis - the mandate of outgoing mayors was then extended.
The councils of around 79% of the municipalities concerned have less than 20 elected officials and 95% less than 30, according to official figures.
By May 23, the scientific council must give another opinion on the state of the epidemic and the possibility of organizing the second round in the approximately 5,000 remaining municipalities.
© 2020 AFP