Omicron Strains France’s Social Contract on Covid

President Emmanuel Macron won people over by promising normalcy if they followed Covid advice. Now Omicron has raised questions about whether he, or any leader, can deliver on that.

PARIS — The deal was simple: Get vaccinated and get your normal life back.

In a country with high levels of misgivings about Covid-19 vaccines and citizens quick to challenge authority, the deal was an unexpected success. It turned France into one of Europe’s most vaccinated countries, quashed street protests by government critics, and boosted President Emmanuel Macron’s re-election bid as a semblance of normal life returned. Even die-hard skeptics became believers — for a while, at least.

“I told myself, great, everybody’s going to get vaccinated and, in three months, we’ll all be OK, we’ll get our freedom back,” said Marc Olissone, 60, who was visiting Paris from northern France and had initially resisted getting a shot. “I got vaccinated because that’s the only way I could go to the movies or visit friends in Paris.”