Meurthe-et-Moselle. Dialogue on crisis management at the Place(s) de la démocratie forum
As the Nancy-Lorraine National Opera hosted a meeting and roundtable discussion this Friday as part of the "Place(s) of Democracy" forum, former ministers Roselyne Bachelot and Agnès Buzyn shared their experiences, having had to manage crises such as H1N1 flu and Covid.
Workshops, round tables, meetings... Organized by the city of Nancy, the think tank Terra Nova and Evidences in partnership with L'Est Républicain (Ebra group), the second edition of the Place(s) de la démocratie forum features a particularly rich program over three days.
This Friday, two events were organized in the sumptuous setting of the Nancy-Lorraine National Opera. In front of an audience of over 150 people, several prominent figures debated for nearly an hour and a quarter in the early evening during a round table discussion on the theme "Will science survive post-truth?" A topic that inspired the various speakers... and captivated the audience.
But before that, the organizers had prepared a dialogue meeting on crisis management. A vast topic. But to address it, the organizers had called upon two particularly appropriate guests. Former health ministers, Roselyne Bachelot and Agnès Buzyn, had to manage health crises such as H1N1 flu and Covid during their tenure.
Terra Nova CEO Thierry Pech launched the dialogue by asking if we should be afraid to tell people the truth in a crisis situation. Both women responded affirmatively. "We must not try to scare or reassure people, but stick to the facts," said Agnès Buzyn , who had to manage the start of the Covid crisis before leaving the government in February 2020.
During a fascinating one-and-a-quarter-hour dialogue in which they shared their experience with concrete examples, the two women also emphasized the importance of having a single point of contact in a crisis situation ("that's the ABC," said Roselyne Bachelot), and of knowing how to move beyond plans developed based on previous crises. "That's France's problem: we imagine regulatory cathedrals that get in our way," said Roselyne Bachelot.
The two former ministers then answered questions from the audience about democracy, the delicate management of masks, and media coverage in the event of a future crisis. "It worries me," said Agnès Buzyn, "the controversial aspect can only grow."
This Saturday, the second edition of the "Place(s) of Democracy" forum continues and concludes with several events at the town hall, including no fewer than four roundtable discussions. A fitting end to the day...
L'Est Républicain
