France says ski resorts can open but without lifts as Austria bucks EU bid to coordinate closures

The French can come to the ski slopes and shop but not take ski lifts, the prime minister has said

Credit:  JEFF PACHOUD/AFP

French ski officials and Alpine MPs are up in arms after the government confirmed that resorts could open for the festive season but all ski lifts must remain closed to avoid a resurgence of the coronavirus.

Ski resort chiefs from around France had implored the government to let them start up in time for Christmas and New Year, arguing that given falling infection rates, there was “no credible reason not to reopen for the period".

Christmas and New Year account for up to a quarter of annual revenues and are thus “a major economic and social issue for a sector with an annual turnover of €11 billion and €2 billion exports”, they said in an op-ed piece in Le Figaro.

However, in a speech detailing France’s plan to gradually relax lockdown rules, Jean Castex, the prime minister ruled out fully re-opening ski domains.

“Naturally, everyone can at their leisure go to these resorts to make the most of the pure air of our beautiful mountains, and shops — not bars and restaurants — will be open,” he said.

However, he added: “Simply all the ski lifts and collective equipment will be closed to the public.”

Ski professionals had held out hope of full Christmas opening after initial government reassurances that a final decision would be made in the coming ten days or so based on epidemic indicators.

They had promised to impose draconian distancing and sanitary measures and massive testing.

But Mr Castex said the government feared that inevitable ski accidents would place an extra burden on an already stretched health system.

“Whatever amount of effort managers and those in charge of the resorts consent to, it would not be prudent to allow very large flows of the population to gather for activities susceptible to call on hospital services,” he said.

Germany wants to keep ski resorts in Europe closed until January 10

Credit:  CLEMENS BILAN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

The hammer blow to the French ski industry came as Germany joined efforts to press for a European Union-wide agreement on keeping resorts closed over Christmas and the New Year.

But Angela Merkel made it clear she was only pursuing an EU ban under pressure from German regional leaders and believes it has little chance of success.

The EU is already divided over the issue. Italy has already called for an EU-wide agreement but Austria has made clear its determination to reopen its ski resorts next month, as has Andorra. Complicating matters further, skiing has already started in Switzerland, which is not an EU member and would not be subject to any agreement.

“The federal government has been asked to try to coordinate with our European neighbours over trips to other European countries, for example to ski resorts. Let me be quite frank: this will not be easy, but we will try,” Mrs Merkel told a press conference late on Wednesday.

She reiterated the point in a statement to the German parliament on Thursday morning, telling MPs it would be difficult to secure an agreement “given Austria’s negative attitude”.

Germany is to keep its own ski resorts closed until January 10, and will press for other EU countries to follow suit.

Asked about this, the French prime minister said that his government was seeking actively to ensure “on a European level that these rules are as harmonised as possible”.