Did France's Emmanuel Macron break his own Covid rules?
- Published
President Macron's symptoms include fever as well "heavy coughing and fatigue", French officials say
As he begins a week of self-isolation, France's Emmanuel Macron is facing questions over the precautions he may or may not have taken in the lead-up to his testing positive for Covid-19 on Thursday.
The president released a selfie video on Friday, saying he was feeling fine but his work had "slowed down a little because of the virus".
Over the previous week President Macron attended a number of high-profile events, including an EU summit and a working dinner with political heavyweights at the Élysée Palace on Wednesday night.
Many of the officials and foreign leaders he met have themselves begun self-isolating too.
Mr Macron's office strongly denies claims that he acted recklessly. In his video he said he had caught the virus despite taking great care, through "no doubt a moment of carelessness, a moment of bad luck too".
The president is no ordinary Covid patient. He may be shielding from other people, but he cannot shield from questions about his condition and the decisions he took.
How did Macron get Covid?
We can only guess. Given the incubation period, he may have become infected at a two-day meeting of European Council heads of state in Brussels on Thursday and Friday last week.
Mr Macron (left) attended two days of face-to-face meetings with other EU leaders last week
Officials insist that the leaders observed social distancing during formal discussions and wore masks as they mingled. Mr Macron also says he has consistently maintained social distancing, worn a mask and regularly cleaned his hands with anti-bacterial gel.
An EU diplomat told the Europe 1 website that if Mr Macron did contract the virus in Brussels, "chances are he was contaminated by his own delegation".
On Monday, the French president went to a conference in Paris organised by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Those who are now isolating following these meetings include European Council President Charles Michel, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, the OECD secretary-general, as well as prime ministers from Portugal, Belgium, Luxembourg and Ireland.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex and parliamentary speaker Richard Ferrand are also self-isolating.
How sick is Macron?
In his video, the president said he was suffering from fatigue, headaches and a dry cough, like hundreds of thousands of others in France.
In his video on Friday, President Macron appealed to the French people to take great care
After coming down with the symptoms on Thursday, he left the Élysée palace and is now self-isolating at La Lanterne, a presidential residence outside Paris.
Despite his condition, he has held several meetings via-videoconferencing. He said he would continue to focus on "priority" issues such as the pandemic and Brexit and he would continue managing day-to-day affairs with the prime minister, the government and his teams.
On Monday, Mr Macron is expected to chair the last cabinet meeting of the year. He is being looked after by a military doctor.
Did he break his own Covid rules?
Much of the criticism Mr Macron faces focuses on the dinner he hosted at the Élysée palace on Wednesday night.
At least 10 senior aides and elected officials are thought to have taken part in the event - which reportedly lasted until about midnight.
Under rules that had just come into force for the festive period, no more than six adults are allowed to gather, and everyone should be at home by 20:00.
Some observers accuse the government of hypocrisy. One left-wing politician tweeted mischievously (in French), external: "Where the heck are the police? An irresponsible person infected with Covid is hosting a dinner with more than 10 people."
Officials say that this was no ordinary dinner but a working meeting. They stress that it was held in a vast reception room that can hold 700 people and that distancing rules were strictly adhered to.
Affairs of state, the president's office adds, are not subject to the restrictions regulating private dinners.
A Macron aide told the Europe 1 news website: "If he had been reckless, he would have been contaminated much earlier."
But centre-right newspaper owner Nicolas Beytout accuses the presidency of sending "mixed messages", external and "ignoring the most basic aspects of life under Covid".
Meanwhile, two activist groups - an association of coronavirus victims and a group of small businesses - have filed a complaint against President Macron, external for violating the curfew and "endangering lives".
What happens if the president becomes incapacitated?
Mr Macron, who is 41, is unlikely to be require hospital treatment - as US President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson did.
Can you become immune to coronavirus?
But in the event that he should no longer be able to work, protocols are in place.
Under the French Constitution, the speaker of the Senate becomes interim president. The position is currently held by conservative Gérard Larcher.
The interim leader faces restrictions on his powers - for instance he or she cannot change the constitution.
If the president dies in office or is permanently incapacitated, new elections must be held.
This is what happened in 1969, when President de Gaulle stood down, and in 1974, when his successor Georges Pompidou died.