PARIS (Sputnik) – The French authorities have allocated about 500 billion euros ($562 billion) to support the country’s economy amid the crisis triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday.
The president also said that these expenses would be added to the country’s existing debt. At the same time, Macron noted that the authorities would not finance the costs by raising taxes, as France is already a country with a heavy tax burden.
According to the leader, it is necessary to avoid layoffs and create new jobs, investing in France’s “technological, digital, industrial and agricultural independence”.
The President added that fight against the coronavirus in France is not over yet, but the country has already claimed the first victory. He referred to the fact that starting Monday, all the country but Mayotte and French Guiana is going into the so-called ‘green zone’, which will allow to renew a lot of economic activity.
Macron went on to say that restaurants and cafes would fully resume operations in the Ile-de-France region and that kindergartens and schools would be able to accept all students on a mandatory basis starting 22 June.
Macron also confirmed that the second round of French municipal elections, which was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, would take place on 28 June.
France began lifting its lockdown measures on 11 May by reopening educational facilities, entertainment venues, public places, including cafes and restaurants, in the ‘green’ regions of the country, which are less affected by the virus. As of Sunday, France has confirmed over 152,000 COVID-19 cases and 29,335 fatalities related to the disease, the World Health Organization dashboard shows.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
