Emmanuel Macron’s government is moving to tackle the “scourge” of bedbugs in France after a raft of videos showed the minuscule insects popping up on public transport, with Paris city hall demanding a reaction.
“I will bring together transport operators next week to provide information on the actions undertaken and act more to serve travelers,” said France’s Transport Minister Clément Beaune on Friday. “To reassure and protect.”
On Thursday, the Paris mayor’s office finally had enough of the invasive creatures — which are named for their habit of nesting in mattresses, though they can also burrow into luggage and clothes — with the French capital less than a year away from hosting the prestigious Olympic Games.
“Bedbugs are a public health problem and must be declared as such,” Paris Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire wrote in a letter to French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on Thursday, French media reported.
“The State must urgently bring together all the stakeholders concerned in order to deploy an action plan commensurate with this scourge while France is preparing to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024,” Grégoire added.
“No one is immune,” Grégoire warned. Bedbugs are a particular problem in mega commuter cities like Paris, he added. They “don’t stop at the periphery.”
In recent weeks, videos of bedbugs in trains and on the Paris metro have circulated on the internet. According to French news, bedbugs disappeared from France around 1950 before making a comeback in the 1990s due to increased international travel.
“It really is a national emergency,” Grégoire warned.