Edouard Philippe laid out his agenda on Tuesday night for a progressive relaxation of measures imposed since 13 March to arrest the spread of the pandemic.
While schools and businesses would restart from 11 May, the case, he added, for reopening cafes, bars, cinemas and theatres would be reviewed at the end of that month.
But there was no such largesse for the organisers of concerts or sports events.
"No large sports gathering, or any gathering, of 5,000 people or more, needing the permission of the local police and arrangements made a long time in advance, will be allowed before September,” said Philippe.
Executive decisions
Executives from the 30 clubs in the first division - Top 14 - and Pro D2 are understood to be thrashing out whether to declare the season over. Any decision will have to be cleared by the executive board of the Ligue National de Rugby..
When play was suspended in the the Top 14 in March, Bordeaux-Begles led second-placed LOU Rugby by eight points with nine matches and the playoffs left.
But Bordeaux-Begles' bosses have hinted that they might decline the title.
"Having only played 17 rounds, we won't be asking for anything," the club's president Laurent Marti told French radio in April.
"We won't ask for it," he said. "And if it's offered to us, we'll think about whether to accept it or not. It's not a sure thing.”
If the season is abandoned, the issue of promotion and relegation would be decided by a committee from the Ligue National de Rugby.
Busy schedule
Even if games are allowed from September, complications are looming for Top 14 clubs in the 2020/21 season.
"If we decide to embark on the new season, we need to be able to do so with a certain number of guarantees, particularly in terms of the staging of matches and finance," said Stade Francais' general manager Thomas Lombard.
He added: "The clubs are going to be in survival mode for the next four months as we haven't had any income since March.
"There are government aid measures but we still have costs to meet, starting with the salaries of players and administrative staff."
The 2020/2021 calendar might also have to fit in the internationals from the 2020 Six Nations tournament.
Before Europe-wide lockdown measures were ordered, Ireland and Italy had yet to play their fourth round match scheduled for 7 March. All the following weekend's final games were also postponed.
"Everything suggests that we're going to restart with a new season," said Montpellier coach Xavier Garbajosa.
The former France international added: “Whatever the league decides, there are cancelled France internationals and the later rounds of the European Cups to fit in. There's going to be a lot of games to squeeze in.”
