The E.U. And AstraZeneca row.

If you order first you get it first.

If you look at the Journal du Dimanche today Callistemon, you will see Macron is at 40%, up 2% from last week.
www.lejdd.fr/Politique/sondage-macron-progresse-de-deux-points-avec-40-de-francais-satisfaits-de-son-action-4020479
I would be interested to know the source for the 29% quoted if you have it.

Since taking over from her father, Le Pen has run twice for the French presidency, losing badly in 2017 to political newcomer Macron in a defeat that she took months to recover from.

But recent polling shows her closer than ever to her ultimate prize and has led to a rash of new speculation about whether the anti-EU, anti-immigration populist could finally enter the Elysée Palace.

Despite recent setbacks for fellow ideologues such as Donald Trump and Matteo Salvini in Italy, a survey reported earlier this week showed her within striking distance of Macron.

The poll conducted online by Harris Interactive suggested that if a final-round presidential run-off were held today Le Pen would garner 48 percent while Macron would be re-elected with 52 percent, Le Parisien newspaper reported.

The margin, the narrowest ever recorded, set off alarm bells in the French political mainstream as the dual health and economic crises caused by the coronavirus pandemic sweep across the country.

FRANCE24 1 day ago

Social media is saying that the vaccine fiasco by the EU is Boris's Falklands moment and he's now riding high in the Polls. ??????

Credit where credit is due I think ?

According to what I read the other day, while disparaging the AZ vaccine for over 65s, Macron admitted that he wasn’t aware of the scientific facts.

I’m sure the fact that the French Sanofi vaccine, which they’d presumably been at least partly relying on, has failed, had nothing whatever to do with it...

I agree Witzend ?

The EU made a mess of it, pure and simple. The UK got in on time, for once, ordered the vaccines and paid for them. Clear cut to me. Seeing the EU act like this shows them in a very nasty light.

We also ordered lots of the Sanofi vaccine, too.

You have to understand that none of this UK/EU vaccine argument is a big story in France, I have barely seen it reported.

Hmm. Not surprised really Mamie as it doesn’t put them in a good light does it? I can quite understand why they’d want to play it down.

Other European newspapers (Danish & German for example) are not to reticent ...

Large funds were put forwards to help produce the vaccine, with the understanding the EU would get a substantial share. The issue is not with the EU's 'bad organisation' per se- but with productions issues which meant AstraZ went for first come first serve - leaving the EU wtihout.

At the end of the day- it is essential that people in Ireland and in the EU are vaccinated- due to the essential frequent movement between the UK and all of EU. Crowing over the rooftops and rattling flags and syringes- will leave us all exposed. It is like pollution, it has no borders - the only way forwards is cooperation- and not just on vaccines.

I agree biba. But cooperation is, after all, a two-way process.

?

Sarnia

The EU made a mess of it, pure and simple. The UK got in on time, for once, ordered the vaccines and paid for them. Clear cut to me. Seeing the EU act like this shows them in a very nasty light.

And I suppose that the UK threatening to break the Rule of Law over an international treaty and threatening to invoke article 16 themselves a couple of weeks ago doesn't show us in a nasty light?

Hypocrisy abounds, I think.

No Urmstongran that is not the case. There are ongoing legal arguments over the AZ contract and the contract lawyers still seem to regard it as open to debate, unlike the armchair experts on here.
There is no doubt that the EU made the wrong call over the threat to invoke Article 16, but they changed their minds 45 minutes later and said they had got it wrong. I have no idea why you would think the French press thought this painted France in a bad light and would consequently ignore it.
It is a huge story in the UK; it really isn't one here.

Yes, Johnson threatened to use art. 16 mid January, saying he would not hesitate to do so - setting a precedent himself. He has never withdrawn this threat either.

The problem was not that the EU was badly organised on procurement. They advanced vast sums of money to help with production, on the agreement they would then receive their fair share. So problems with production capability has been the problem.

but fear not, good people, little Swizerland is coming to the rescue ;)

Swiss pharmaceuticals giant Novartis said Friday it had signed an initial agreement to help produce the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19, as countries scramble to boost supplies.

The rare act of cooperation -- in an industry usually marked by cut-throat competition -- comes after French pharma group Sanofi announced earlier this week that it would also team up with rivals Pfizer and BioNTech to help produce 125 million doses of their jab.

EU caused outrage on Friday evening when it invoked Article 16 of the post-Brexit mechanism, to stop the unimpeded flow of vaccines from the European bloc into the Province.

Brussels subsequently reversed the move following condemnation from London, Dublin and Belfast.

Arlene Foster said it was an “absolutely incredible act of hostility towards those of us in Northern Ireland”.

As for flag waving, crowing and having pride in our own country and being happy that we have now vaccinated over 8million people and that our vaccination program is first class. Well tough I'm proud of the UK, proud that I am English and proud that I voted to Leave the corrupt and undemocratic EU and I'm sick and tired of all the Boris and UK bashers who are mostly Remainers who still after over 4 years haven't accept the vote.

For the hundredth time, not agreeing with you is not not accepting the vote.

That’s great news biba. The U.K. ordered lots of the Sanofi vaccine so it’s good to see the factories will be put to good use. To be fair to the USA as well Operation Warp Speed ploughed a lot of money into vaccine development. If ever the world needed to work together it’s now. And let’s give some credit to the EU that admitted they were in the wrong very quickly. I was very angry with them!

Agree. Nationalism at all cost makes no sense- because, in EU or out- Covid has no borders. We can close the borders short term, and it should have been done months and months ago- and certainly NO travelling over Christmas- but in the long term, we all depend on each other. Being 'proud' is one thing ...

crowing is not about being proud, but about being nationalistically vindictive. Massive difference.

MayBee70- as said, I agree. However, nothing will change the fact that Johnson very loudly threatened to use Art 16, 'without hesitation' and he has never backtracked on that either.

yes biba here in the UK we are very proud that so many of our citizens are being vaccinated against this dreadful killer disease and glad that the government got it so right.
Our own ( and other) governments don’t get everything right by a long chalk, but in this case they absolutely did.
The EU have acted very wrongly indeed and know it.It’s an early warning ( if one were needed) of their intentions and tactics when the chips are down.

If all is going as well with the vaccinations and supplies are plentiful why is the U.K. govt still insisting on three months between the doses against the advice of the scientists which is more like three weeks?
As far as I can see here people having the first dose are given an appointment for the second dose before they leave the venue.

Can I just say that several of us have been highly critical of the way the EU have behaved in this instance. And it would be nice if some people could find it in themselves to actually criticise the U.K. government when they are in the wrong eg proroguing parliament etc.

I see no evidence of national vindictiveness on here. The UK government acted well, we are happy that this is the case. The EU acted badly and we are not happy about that.
Our most vulnerable citizens will be vaccinated and surplus will be shared with the poorest countries as is the way of the UK.
Happy and satisfied citizens is not vindictiveness but being unable to acknowledge that our government has done something well simply because they are not of your own political persuasion is vindictive

Because this thread is about the AZ/EU Maybee and not about very old news/politics.This isn’t the thread to bring up complaints about the Conservative government in general.....
Blimey! There have been many threads on that.

Yes I find that odd too Welshwife. My friends who were done in the first week when it was opened to the over 75s will have their second dose and be fully vaccinated in a couple of weeks. I thought this was interesting.
www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/israel-is-warning-that-a-single-dose-of-the-pfizer-vaccine-is-less-effective-than-we-hoped-against-covid-19-and-it-could-be-a-blow-to-the-us-and-uk-strategies/ar-BB1cVdHV?ocid=st