France accuses UK of ‘blackmail’ in Covid vaccine supply row

‘You can’t be playing like this, a bit of blackmail,’ says Emmanuel Macron’s foreign minister

Emmanuel Macron has backed a plan by the European Commission allowing tougher restrictions on exports (Associated Press)

France’s foreign minister has accused the UK of playing “blackmail” games with the export of Covid vaccines, as the row over jab supply across the continent continues.

The EU’s national leaders have yet to agree on new controls for vaccine exports, but French president Emmanuel Macron has backed a plan by the European Commission allowing tougher restrictions on exports – which could impact on delivery to Britain.

Mr Macron’s foreign minister Jean-Yves le Drian criticised Boris Johnson’s government approach to vaccine purchasing and exporting – suggesting No 10 was under pressure over supply because it lacked enough doses for second shots.

“The United Kingdom has taken great pride in vaccinating well with the first dose except they have a problem with the second dose,” Mr Le Drian told Franceinfo radio on Friday.

“We cannot play blackmail. I hope we are going to come to an agreement, it would be absurd to have a vaccine war between the UK and Europe,” the minister said.

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Mr Le Drian added: “You can’t be playing like this, a bit of blackmail, just because you hurried to get people vaccinated with a first shot, and now you’re a bit handicapped because you don’t have the second one.”

It comes as European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has warned the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca that it must “honour” its vaccine contract with the bloc before exporting doses elsewhere in the world.

In an apparent dig at the UK, Ms Von der Leyen also urged “transparency” from other countries – but did not confirm if the EU would bring in tougher export restrictions on jabs.

The commission chief also said she had “no knowledge” of the UK exporting jabs, while 77 million doses had been exported to 33 countries by the EU so far.

Ursula von der Leyen has warned AstraZeneca it must ‘honour’ its vaccine contract with the bloc (Reuters)

Mr Macron said he supported a stronger export control mechanism put in place by the European Commission for any companies which do not meet their contractual obligations.

“It’s the end of naivety,” the French president declared on Thursday evening. “Europe is not a selfish continent. Because when I read what the press on the other side of the Channel writes, we’re being accused of being selfish. Wrong. We left our supply chains untouched.”

Several countries – including Belgium the Netherlands, Ireland, Sweden and Denmark – have reservations about the commission plan, and have made clear they do not intend to impose tougher export controls.

Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister, warned against a tit-for-tat escalation of export controls. “We should not do stuff that leaves us with not more but fewer vaccines.”

UK communities secretary Robert Jenrick warned against “damaging” export bans on Friday. The cabinet minister said the government has absolute confidence in its supply of vaccine – with all adults on track to receive a first dose by the end of July.

Pressed on where UK vaccine doses would come from if Brussels did apply an export ban, the minister told Good Morning Britain: “We’ve chosen since the start not to discuss our supply chains. We think that’s the right decision.

“We’re getting our vaccines from multiple manufacturers, from all over the world with complex international supply chains – none of them are reliant on any one factory or any one country.”

Mr Jenrick added: “Anyone who has an appointment for a jab, either their first one or second one, there is no need to worry – those appointments will be honoured.”