Paris (AFP)
"Health before the economy": the number one of LREM Stanislas Guerini thus justified Wednesday in advance the very probable reconfinement which should be announced in the evening by Emmanuel Macron to fight against the "exponential" worsening of the Covid epidemic -19.
"To face this second wave, strong measures are needed, powerful measures, understandable by all French people, probably national and if the President of the Republic chooses to operate a containment for the country, I will support this decision ", explained on France 2 the general delegate of En Marche.
"The French face a double concern, a concern for their health, a concern for their employment, for the economic and social situation", he underlined.
"At this moment, we must protect them and we have a line, we have never deviated from this line, it is health before the economy and we will continue to act in this way", he said. he warned.
The President of the Republic must decide in the defense council and then announce new restrictions on Wednesday at 8 p.m. that could go as far as the reconfinement of the country, however less strict than in the spring.
"We must at all costs preserve schools and the ability to keep children in school", especially "for small classes", insisted Mr. Guerini.
"We will see for students who have the ability to study at a distance," he said of colleges and high schools.
Regarding shops, Mr. Guerini "thinks that we need clear things: essential shops open, others closed" but also invites "to do everything so that companies can continue to work", especially in factories.
The boss of LREM criticized the reaction of opposition parties after the briefing on Wednesday with Prime Minister Jean Castex, saying he was "quite surprised to see that some leaders of political parties, groups in the National Assembly, in reality did not wish to take responsibility ".
© 2020 AFP