The Minister of Health Olivier Véran and the Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, on May 25, 2020 in Paris. - Michel Euler / AP / SIPA

  • In early April, a parliamentary fact-finding mission was created in the National Assembly to study the management of the coronavirus crisis. The deputies conducted hearings of ministers, prefects, elected officials, unions and scientists.
  • A progress report was presented on Wednesday, in the form of a document of around 70 pages.
  • The document points to "weaknesses" and a "lack of anticipation" of France in the face of the pandemic. He questions the functioning of Public Health France, regional health agencies, but does not criticize government management.

After hours of hearing and two months of work, the deputies wrote a first report on the management of the coronavirus crisis in France. As part of the parliamentary fact-finding mission on Covid-19, they interviewed ministers, senior officials, prefects, unions and scientists. The result of this work is contained in a 73-page draft document, with 77 pages of appendices, which 20 Minutes was able to consult this Thursday. Chaired by Richard Ferrand, President LREM of the National Assembly, the mission, which has just been transformed into a commission of inquiry to continue its work, devoted several pages of its report to the "weaknesses" that this pandemic has revealed.

"Dependence" on health imports

The report traces the management of the crisis in France, without commenting on government decisions or their timing. "Our healthcare system has held up well and has been able to cope with the massive influx of patients with Covid-19", in particular "at the cost of an exceptional mobilization of its caregivers", note the deputies. But the pandemic has "revealed some flaws in the culture of health prevention in France and a lack of anticipation".

Unsurprisingly, elected officials noted "the insufficient strategic stocks of protective equipment, including masks". "This situation has forced them to prioritize their distribution," we can read in the report, which does not go back to the hesitant government communication on the wearing of masks.

Beyond this equipment, the crisis has revealed that France is "dependent on the outside world for supplies of essential products in the context of an epidemic", alert parliamentarians to drugs such as resuscitation and screening. They therefore demand a "replenishment of stocks" and a "reflection" on their logistics management, as well as the "securing" of supplies of "essential" products.

An "insufficient" hospital plan in November

The report also emphasizes the difficult context in hospitals, which were in "a tense situation before the health crisis", and judges that the amount of the government's hospital plan, announced in November 2019, was "insufficient". In addition, elected officials believe that the functioning of regional health agencies (ARS) must be reviewed, to move towards more decentralization. They also point to the role of the French public health agency, whose missions and organization must be "re-examined". The parliamentarians also deplore an "insufficient" monitoring of the situation in the nursing homes.

"The epidemic has in fact revealed some flaws in the culture of health prevention in France and a lack of anticipation in the face of crises of such magnitude," the elected officials write modestly. In hushed words, they question the drop in budgets devoted to scientific research. "The budgetary restrictions weighing on research for more than a decade have probably weighed on the development of basic research work," they continue on the work carried out on the Covid-19.

At the international level, the report calls for the reorganization of the World Health Organization (WHO) and criticizes the health response of the countries of the European Union. "The" every man for himself "has won, each country has taken measures at national level, without coordination with its partners. As for lessons to be learned for the future, this report outlines avenues, including investments in health security and prevention.

"This mission only served to keep parliamentarians occupied"

"This is a good start, a good basis on which we can move forward," said LREM deputy for French nationals abroad Roland Lescure, with reference to the expanded powers from which the new commission of inquiry will benefit. "Unfortunately, this kind of pandemic can happen again, and we know that France was not sufficiently prepared. We have a lot to learn, a lot of lessons to learn, ”continues the chairman of the Committee on Economic Affairs.

But in opposition, this progress report arouses less enthusiasm. "This report is lenient towards the government, and does not address dysfunctions and responsibilities," laments the Communist deputy for Bouches-du-Rhône Pierre Darrhéville. "I fear that we have lost time, and this mission only served to occupy parliamentarians, especially the opposition during the period." The commission of inquiry into the coronavirus crisis will begin its meetings next week in the National Assembly. In the Senate, we will have to wait until the end of June.

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  • Deputy
  • National Assembly
  • Covid 19
  • Coronavirus