France’s lower house suspends review of Covid-19 vaccine pass bill

France’s lower house of parliament has suspended debates over a bill to make it mandatory for people to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination to go to a restaurant or cinema or take the train.

Tense discussions of the new law, which would remove the option of showing a negative test result instead of having the inoculations, were halted after midnight on Monday after a majority of deputies voted to suspend the session.

The heads of the various parliamentary groups must now set a new date for debates to resume, the vice-president of the National Assembly Annie Genevard said.

Once voted in the National Assembly, the new law needs to be voted in by the senate, before it comes into force on Jan 15.

A strained debate in parliament on Monday highlighted what the government and the opposition described as widespread fatigue with the pandemic and measures to tackle it.

The proposed tightening of the rules has angered anti-vaccination activists and some lawmakers say they have been subject to aggression including vandalism and violent threats.