It’s decided! As there was no “definitive niet”, the text establishing a vaccination obligation targeting the over 50s and the health sector “will be tabled”. Xavier Bettel announced it this Wednesday evening in parliament, after a river consultation debate.
This Wednesday afternoon the deputies had to decide on several concrete questions posed in the Document synthesis while taking into account theexpert opinion on the vaccination obligation, two documents made public just a few days ago. “A very short time“, immediately recognized Prime Minister Xavier Bettel by posing the urgency: “We are in a situation that leaves us neither weeks nor months. It’s a race against the virus!“
The consultation debate which lasted more than 5h30 in the Chamber did not result in a vote for or against compulsory vaccination. But it allowed each party to position itself and the Prime Minister to take the pulse, to conclude facing the 60 deputies: “We basically agree“. He notes that he “there is no definitive niet“.
Especially from the CSV, the main opposition party that advocates for a mandatory general vaccination from the age of 18, applicable to residents as well as border guards. The three parties of the government majority (DP, LSAP and Déi Gréng) follow – under certain conditions – the opinion of the five experts.
They are for compulsory vaccination of all people of over 50 years old and the health and care sector. The adr, déi Lénk and the Piraten are against compulsory vaccination, but not against voluntary vaccination.
The Minister of Justice, Sam Tanson (Déi Gréng), in charge of all the legal aspects of the future autonomous law, retains the “large approbation“of the parliament to go on the way of a vaccination obligation in Luxembourg. For the future law to hold, it must have a goal. The government “has two: Strengthening the health system to avoid overloading hospitals and return to freedoms“Before the Covid crisis,” Sam Tanson summed up.
Xavier Bettel therefore decided at the very end of the session: “The text (of law) will be deposited. We are ready to take our responsibilities. It will be a step towards more normality and better protection of the weakest in our society.“.
EXPERTS “KNOW MORE THAN US”
From the start of the consultation debate, Xavier Bettel had set the tone: “The five independent experts are very clear and the government will follow these recommendations. Yes! we need mandatory vaccination. This question is settled. Not by politicians, but independent experts. They know more than us in this room“.
It remained to hear the proposals of the parties to settle all the more political questions such as whether or not to include the border or sanctions to be imposed on those who will always refuse to be vaccinated. “We have received a lot of responses and I can guarantee that everything will be precisely analyzed at the time of writing the text.“, assured the Prime Minister, underlining the serenity of the debates, just disturbed by the adr.
Its spokesperson, the deputy Fernand Kartheiser, believes that the argument of the overload of hospitals which can be avoided thanks to the vaccination imposed in the future on those over 50, is “the result of a policy pursued for years by the LSAP!“This is the party of Paulette Lenert, Minister of Health. Launching him directly from the desk:”We do not want compulsory vaccination! No punishment! what is this model of society that you are proposing to us?“
“THE LAST CARTRIDGE” NOT TO FIRE TOO FAST
“Abnormal times call for taking abnormal paths“, explained Paulette Lenert, who acknowledges that after two years of pandemic, “nWe have accumulated knowledge, but we always walk in the dark because we have to work with a lot of unknowns. We don’t really know what the vaccination rate will be to achieve herd immunity“. Nor when new vaccines or curative drugs will arrive and do not know what new variants will arise. Fact is “that no expert can give us a guarantee, but we can’t go towards spring without reacting“.
In the eyes of the CSV, a generalized compulsory vaccination is “justified, legitimate and proportional“. She’s Got to Happen”as quickly as possible. Ideally voted in February, in March at the latest and do not wait until September. It would be losing control on the next wave“, says Claude Wiseler. His credo: By accommodating everyone under the same banner, discrimination and uncertainty are eliminated.
The LSAP and the Greens agree to immediately launch the work of drafting the future text; but don’t want to go faster than the music. “Compulsory vaccination seems to be the last cartridge to overcome the pandemic“and avoid a 5th wave, but”do not make a final decision before having all the information“warns Yves Cruchten (LSAP). Citing the example of a necessary modeling of the impact of the over 50s on the hospital sector or the evaluation of the 3G regime at work”by mid-February“.
MORE EXPENSIVE THAN A PARKING PV BUT NOT MORE THAN €500
The vast majority of parties rule out the criminal sanction, but recommend a fine. She should be”systematic, between 200€ and 500€ and repetitive each time the invitation to get vaccinated is not followed“, pose Claude Wiseler (CSV). She should be 250€ maximum and repetitive for the LSAP.
She should “cost more expensive than bad parking (24€) but an amount that does not ruin the lowest paid“, grins Josée Lorsché (The Green).”A large sum or a smaller one, but repetitive, what matters is its effect. Either we get vaccinated, or we take the penalty“, tranche Gilles Baum (DP).
-> Also read: Debate in the Chamber: Should anti-Covid vaccination be imposed in Luxembourg or not?