In light of an exceptionally severe heatwave, France’s Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has urged his ministers to prepare for a summer without regular vacations. If the heatwave continues, members of the government would need to remain on standby throughout the entire holiday period.
According to a letter from the Prime Minister’s office dated June 24, the ongoing crisis situation and uncertainty about the duration of the extreme heat make reliable planning of the summer months difficult. Although a final decision about the ministers’ vacations has not yet been made, all departments have been prepared for the possibility that their full operational readiness may be required until the end of summer.
The background is the work of an interministerial crisis unit, which is currently developing various scenarios for the further development of the heatwave. The authorities have been tasked with developing short-, medium-, and long-term measures to address the health, social, and ecological consequences of a potentially prolonged extreme weather situation.
The focus is on ensuring sufficient hospital capacity, protecting particularly vulnerable population groups, combating forest fires, and limiting damage to agriculture.
Several French media outlets also report that government members have been asked to refrain from traveling abroad during the holidays. This is intended to ensure that they can return to Paris at short notice if necessary. Should the situation worsen further, some ministers may even forgo their summer vacation entirely.
The precautionary measures are also shaped by the traumatic experiences during the 2003 heatwave. At that time, the government faced massive criticism after then-Health Minister Jean-François Mattei was contacted from his vacation spot during the health crisis. The heatwave claimed nearly 15,000 lives and is still considered one of the greatest political failures in French crisis management. The current government wants to avoid the impression of being unable to act fully in a comparable situation.
The decision comes at a time of historic temperatures. According to Météo-France, the hottest nationwide average temperature since weather records began in 1947 was recorded on Tuesday. Dozens of departments are now at the highest heat warning level. Authorities do not rule out the possibility that the exceptional weather situation could continue for several more weeks.
Author: P. Tiko