COVID-19 in France: Government Response and Public Confusion

So now, let’s move on to Western Europe, to France, which was deeply

affected by Covid-19 and by mid-November 2020, France had over 2 million
cases of Covid, which one of the highest numbers in Europe.

At first, the government said the risk was low and they focused on pension
reforms and local elections. But cases started rising fast in late February,
and like many other countries, France wasn’t prepared. There weren’t
enough masks or tests, and many public hospitals were on strike.

In response, the government took strong action, treating the virus

like a national enemy.

They followed a four-step plan.

1. The first stage focused on stopping the virus from entering the
country, through quarantines.

2. The second stage worked to limit the spread, by banning large

gatherings and visits to nursing homes by early March.

3. The third stage aimed to reduce the strain on hospitals, leading to a

lockdown that lasted nearly two months.

4. In the final stage, President Macron said the country was "at war"
and set two goals: saving lives by stopping the virus spread and
protecting the economy.

The Covid-19 pandemic created the perfect conditions for conspiracy

theories in France and three key factors played a role:

1. there was no clear scientific consensus on the virus,

2. there was high public mistrust in politics and the media,

3. the government’s communication was confusing and contradictory.

For example, on March 3, 2020, French officials insisted schools would stay
open no matter what. Two days later, President Macron said there was no
reason to change daily life, even as the virus spread. But on March 11,
Macron announced school closures, calling Covid-19 “the most serious
health crisis in a century and declared that France was “at war” with the virus and
enforced a strict 50-day lockdown.
As a result, non-essential travel was banned, and people needed official forms to leave their
homes.

These mixed messages only fueled confusion, frustration, and mistrust in society.

Now let’s have a look what was the Covid 19 Conspiracy theories in
France

1. At the beginning of the pandemic, most scientists believed that the

virus had zoonotic origins, but according to some media sources, it
was a bioweapon leaked from a Wuhan lab or created by Israel or
the U.S. to harm France.

2. Another theory blamed "Big Pharma"—especially the Pasteur Institute

—which accused them of creating the virus to profit from
vaccines. They claimed the government had banned cheap, and
effective early treatments like ivermectin on purpose.

3. Another common feature in pandemic conspiracy theories is technology

fears. Some linked Covid-19 to 5G, believing it helped spread the virus,
which gained traction after attacks on 5G towers in the UK.

4. Finally, many believed the government exaggerated the crisis to control

the public. Activist groups spread the “empty hospitals” theory, which
encouraged people to visit hospitals and record videos to show
empty hospitals wards, claiming the pandemic was a hoax.

Now let’s have a look at Clergy’s role in Conspiracy theories

In France, there weren’t many clergy-driven conspiracy theories, but

religious leaders did protest restrictions on worship.

France is a secular state and has strict separation between religion and
government, but religious traditions still play a role. During the pandemic,
the government imposed measures that affected religious practices, like
canceling major ceremonies and restricting rituals like Ramadan
fasting and Jewish cleansing traditions.

However, opposition from religious authorities was minimal. In fact, some

religious leaders even closed places of worship before the government
required it.

Basically, religious leaders supported government health rules and even

encouraged stricter measures. For example, in 2020, the CFCM(French
Council of the Muslim Faith) advised that, “The best prayer is at
home.”

The Catholic Church encouraged vaccination, with Pope Francis backing it.
The only religious group to declare vaccination a religious obligation was the
Chief Rabbi of France. (religious leader of that country's Jewish community)

Most people followed these rules, but some protested. On November 15,
2020, small groups across France demanded the return of Mass, and a
petition gained 100,000 signatures. However, the French Bishops'
Conference did not support these protests, which showed that overall,
religious communities accepted the restrictions.

Let’s move on to Far-Right Populism and Conspiracy Theories

Although Covid-19 conspiracy theories have mainly circulated on the

internet, some far-right politicians pushed them in the public sphere.

Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally, opposed government

health measures during the pandemic, despite supporting "freedom of
vaccination” and against health pass.

She criticized childhood vaccinations, calling them "a form of

mistreatment" and said she wouldn't have vaccinated her own
children,because they were not at risk of severe Covid-19.

Unfortunately, this view contributed to low vaccination rates among children,

with only 4% vaccinated by December 2021.

While Le Pen claimed to support vaccination, she doubted its

effectiveness, insisting it only prevented severe illness, not the
spread of the virus. Le Pen claimed the government's actions were
threats to freedom.

Florian Philippot, former National Front deputy leader, used the Covid-19
crisis to relaunch his political career after his party, Les Patriotes, failed in
the 2019 European elections.

He criticized the government for not taking strong enough measures,

especially in refusing to close borders, saying "half-measures lead to
almost no results."

However, as the second wave hit, Philippot changed his stance, claiming
the situation wasn't as bad as the government suggested.
 He labeled health measures as "oppressive" and referred to those
following them as "masked and spaced-out zombies." Philippot became a
key figure at anti-health pass demonstrations, framing them as attacks
on personal freedoms and equality.

COVID-19 Protests and the Role of Media

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people in France protested against

government health measures, especially vaccine mandates and the
health pass.

In 2021, the French government made the health pass mandatory for
access to public places like restaurants, bars, and transport. This pass
shows proof of vaccination, recent recovery from Covid-19, or a
negative test result.

Many French citizens were unhappy with this, feeling it restricted their
freedoms. President Macron said he wanted to make life difficult for the
unvaccinated people to encourage them to get vaccinated. In 2021, one
of the biggest protests had 105,200 people, who were protesting the
Health pass, considering it a restriction of freedom.

The protests continued into 2022, with people demanding the removal of
the vaccine pass and more support for rising energy bills.

On this slide you see that- Before the announcement of the health pass, the
majority of vaccinated individuals expressed relief, while levels of doubt
remained relatively low but showed a gradual upward trend.

After the announcement of the health pass, there was a notable decline in the
proportion of individuals reporting relief, there was a sharp increase in
doubt and regret toward vaccination.

After the health pass was implemented, doubts exceeded feelings of relief,
and both regret and anger continued to rise, which indicates growing public
dissatisfaction with mandatory vaccination measures.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, French media played a big role in sharing
public health information and tackling conspiracy theories.

At the start, news outlets like Le Monde, France 24, and BFM TV focused on
providing clear info about the virus, safety measures, and vaccines,
which helped build trust among people. They also worked hard to
debunk misinformation by bringing in experts and fact-checkers.
But, of course, this didn’t stop people who were already skeptical of the
government and traditional media from pushing back.

On social media platforms like Facebook and X, anti-vaccine content grew a

lot in 2020 and they often claimed that democracy were turning into a
“sanitary dictatorship.”

Conclusion

Although France was initially unprepared for the pandemic, the government
quickly implemented strict health measures to control the virus, with support
from national TV channels and religious leaders promoting evidence-based
information.

However, far-right groups and political figures exploited the situation,

spreading misinformation and fueling conspiracy theories. While these
measures helped slow the virus's spread, they also led to protests,
particularly over vaccination mandates. In the end I believe that France’s
response highlighted the great example of the challenges to balance public
health efforts with political and social divisions during a crisis.

So now let’s see Comparison of Religious Responses to COVID-19 in

Romania, France and Japan.

Similarities:

1. Adaptation to Restrictions. All three countries saw religious groups following their
practices, such as suspending services or moving online
2. Support for Health Measures: Religious leaders in Romania, France, and Japan
generally supported government health guidelines. In Romania, the Orthodox Church
followed the rules, while French and Japanese religious leaders were more proactive in
encouraging adherence.
3. Community Support: Religious groups in all three countries offered aid to communities,
with Romania and Japan providing charitable support, while France focused on mental
and emotional well-being.

Differences:

1. Vaccine Skepticism: Romania had some clergy promoting anti-vaccine conspiracy

theories, while France had minimal opposition and Japan had one group, Happy Science,
promoting conspiracy theories and continuing large gatherings.
 2. Resistance to Restrictions: Romania had resistance from some Orthodox clergy,
France saw little resistance due to its secular nature, and Japan's religious groups were
generally compliant except for Happy Science.
3. Government Relations: Romania and France had more direct interaction between clergy
and the government, while Japan's religious groups acted out of self-regulation, avoiding
controversy.

What is the truth then? If its not true