Jean Castex and Emmanuel Macron, July 14, 2020 in Paris.

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Jacques Witt / SIPA

  • The health situation has deteriorated for a few weeks, pushing the executive to take binding measures in some cities and some departments.

  • The government is also facing a certain mistrust in public opinion, as during the first wave of coronaviurus in France.

  • To try to remedy this, Prime Minister Jean Castex will be on France Info this Monday morning to explain the management of the health and economic crisis.

    Emmanuel Macron is also considering a possible intervention in the media this week.

The numbers are not good.

The coronavirus epidemic continues to circulate, with 16,101 new positive cases and 46 deaths recorded this Sunday in 24 hours, and a total of 1,483 people in intensive care, a record since May.

Faced with the health deterioration, the government on Saturday placed four new cities in "maximum alert zone", synonymous with new restrictions in Lyon, Grenoble, Saint-Etienne and Lille, which joined Aix-Marseille, Guadeloupe, Paris and its little crown.

Tuesday, Toulouse and Montpellier will also enter this category, announced this Sunday the prefectures concerned.

In a context of epidemic rebound, pressure is increasing on the executive, forced to endorse unpopular measures while its popularity is declining according to several polls.

A growing context for Castex

From this Monday, Jean Castex will speak on the radio, on France Info at 8:30 am, to take stock of the government's strategy in the face of the health crisis.

After a difficult return to school, the Prime Minister saw his confidence rating drop to 28% according to a survey by the Elabe research institute published on October 8.

“His arrival in Matignon, in July, was to turn the page on the first wave and start the time for recovery.

But the context has changed and today he needs to show that he embodies the function of head of government, ”observes Bernard Sananès, president of the Elabe research and polling firm.

"It is important that Jean Castex speaks, to take stock, because in recent days we have witnessed multiple interventions by experts who contradict each other, and people no longer understand anything", breathes Bruno Questel, deputy The Republic on the move of the Eure.

A stronger pressure than during the first wave

The Prime Minister is not the only one paying the price for the health and economic crisis.

Emmanuel Macron's confidence rating is also down, to 32% according to the same survey.

“There is also mistrust in the way the executive has handled the crisis.

A part of the critical opinion the lack of anticipation of this second wave, continues Bernard Sananès.

The risk is that the opinion is more severe on the management of this epidemic recovery than on that of the first wave.

The executive will have to scramble to explain that he was not negligent in the preparation of the second wave.

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Increased pressure that the head of government is aware of.

"The acceptability of the measures is weaker", notes the entourage of the Prime Minister, who recalls his objective: "to find a balance, so as not to disturb too much the social, economic and daily life of the French, and not to overwhelm our system. of care ".

Hence the need for the government to communicate regularly: “we are sailing in the short term, we have two to three weeks of anticipation thanks to the models.

So we take measurements approximately every 15 days, with the aim of avoiding saturation of hospitals.

If the indicators are bad, we will assume to take unpopular measures ”, continues to Matignon.

"We must get into combat mode"

A sign that the executive is aware of this mistrust, the head of state could also speak during the week to talk about the epidemic.

The Elysee would consider a televised intervention, but the president's agenda was not "stabilized" this Sunday evening, the presidency told us.

For Bernard Sananès, the stake is particular for Emmanuel Macron.

"Some of those polled blame him for a lack of proximity and stress that he is very involved in international affairs, but not enough with the French."

This pressure is not expected to diminish anytime soon, the majority admits.

"The weeks, the months to come will be more and more tense", predicts Bruno Questel, who fears in particular "a new burst of complaints before the Court of Justice the Republic" against members of the government, accused by certain citizens of having failed in their mission in the face of the coronavirus.

"The majority must put themselves in combat mode, and stop being nice", launches the parliamentarian.

The government will also have to face this week a new day of mobilization among hospital staff.

Several unions and collectives are calling for a strike on Thursday, October 15 to demand hiring, an increase in wages and to denounce government measures deemed insufficient during the “Ségur de la santé”.

Strasbourg

Ultra-rapid test for young people, tracing ... How Alsace wants to stem the second wave of the epidemic

Lille

The Pas-de-Calais prefecture threatens to take "more coercive measures" to curb the coronavirus

  • Jean Castex

  • Covid 19

  • Coronavirus

  • Emmanuel Macron

  • Government