French Lawmakers Reject 'Sanitary Pass' For Coronavirus-Free People

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th May, 2021) The lower house of the French parliament voted by a thin margin on Tuesday to reject a bill that sought to introduce a "sanitary pass" for coronavirus-free people as part of the reopening scheme.

President Emmanuel Macron's ruling LREM party sponsored the bill, which was defeated in a 108-103 vote, with LREM's centrist allies from Modem party saying their "red lines" were ignored.

"The Modem faction voted unanimously against Article 1... We noticed that there was no dialogue, no listening," Modem lawmaker Philippe Latombe said in parliament.

The eight-point bill spelled out steps needed for a phased exit from the coronavirus lockdown, with the sanitary pass being critical for the return to normalcy. The government may yet request a second reading.