France is developing into the new European stronghold of the corona protests.

A movement comparable to German lateral thinkers has formed via social networks.

The anti-Vax protest is driven by former “yellow vests” spokesmen who are experienced in communication.

The slogans are becoming more and more radical.

Yellow stars with the inscription "Without vaccination" have replaced the safety vests.

What remains is the almost unlimited hatred of the government under President Emmanuel Macron.

From now on, the focus is on Macron's alleged “health dictatorship”.

According to the Interior Ministry, more than 160,000 French took to the streets this weekend. Quite a few attached themselves to their clothing without vaccination stars in order to compare themselves with the persecuted Jews. On posters were photomontages of the Auschwitz Gate with the inscription "The health pass makes you free", on others it said "No to the Nazi passport". Macron portraits with Hitler mustaches were also panned. So far, the unspeakable Nazi comparisons have not been punished. Throughout the week, the French lateral thinkers drew attention to themselves with individual campaigns. There were demonstrations in Bordeaux, Strasbourg and Toulouse. In Chambéry they stormed the town hall and yelled the portrait of Macron from the wall.

The anger is ostensibly directed against the mandatory health passport, the French choice of name for the EU's Covid certificate.

In fact, in view of the sluggish vaccination progress, Macron decided to extend the benefits to vaccinated people.

You can visit restaurants, cafés and bars with your proof in the health pass from August 1st, while unvaccinated people have to be tested first.

This also applies to long-distance travel by plane, train or bus.

For a long time there has been a fermenting rejection of politics, science and the media

For many, the health pass is just a cheap excuse to take their long-fermented rejection of politics, science and the media onto the streets. Even before the pandemic, France was one of the most vaccine-skeptical countries in the world. In a recent study, the polling institute Sciences Po found a clear connection between disenchantment with politics and refusal to vaccinate.

Above all, the finding that higher qualifications do not protect against a certain conspiracy and hostility towards science gives cause for concern. However, in the early stages of the pandemic, the government also helped to cast doubt on its recommendations. In order to hide the shortage of masks, government leaders said that wearing masks was useless. A few months later, a general mask requirement was introduced.

As in Germany, the supporters of the Corona demonstrations form a small minority that is heavily represented in the media. Less obvious is that President Macron's carrot-and-stick strategy is starting to bear fruit. Almost four million French people have pounced on vacant vaccination appointments since the presidential address. In surveys, 62 percent approve of the strategy. It is now up to the president's political skill to prevent further radicalization of the minority.