The debates on the vaccination obligation begin today in the federal parliament. Sophie Rohonyi will be part of this Chamber Health Committee.
A debate that must be serene and transparent, according to MP DéFI. “This is what we have missed too much since the start of this crisis management. This parliamentary debate on health measures has been confiscated from us by the government.”
Is this debate coming a little late? “The government was late in taking the decision to let parliament debate this important decision. But I don’t think this debate comes too late. Today the epidemiological situation is calmer, but we don’t know what tomorrow will be done. To govern is to foresee, and it is also to foresee the emergence of new variants which would be more virulent (note: than Omicron).”
Commissioner Corona would prefer a vaccination pass rather than the vaccination obligation. An option that is not acceptable to DéFI. “The vaccination pass is not acceptable because it is hypocritical. It is a disguised obligation. It is ineffective because it gives a false sense of security and then it also poses major problems of proportionality and legality. ” The member believes that it would be healthier to debate directly on the more frank question of the vaccination obligation.
Are we still for the vaccination obligation at Défi? “Our position is to confine the vaccination obligation for people who are most at risk. Namely: people over 50.”
The Covid barometer, “an aberration”
The list of experts who will be heard in the context of the debate in the Chamber on compulsory vaccination has been decided. It does not satisfy everyone.
Sophie Rohonyi judges it quite limiting. “I pleaded for the panel of experts to be as wide as possible. Namely that alongside virologists, we also hear psychologists, pediatricians, general practitioners, constitutionalists, etc.”
The final word will be for the Covid barometer. An aberration for Sophie Rohonyi. “It always targets the same sectors. It does not take into account the immunity acquired by the population, mental health, ventilation, etc. The government is acting three wars late. This barometer, if we intend to make it flexible as it should be, will no longer really be a barometer. I no longer have the impression that this barometer is more of a political communication tool that allows the government to justify its measures because it is in difficulty compared to that.”
energy crisis
Several measures are on the government’s table to fight against rising energy prices. The most popular concerns a temporary reduction in VAT, from 21 to 6%.
A preferred option at DéFI, comments Sophie Rohonyi. “What citizens want above all is a significant drop in their bill. So it doesn’t matter which solution is chosen. The longer we delay making a decision, the poorer families become. At DéFI, our position, since the start is to reduce the VAT on gas and electricity from 21 to 6%.
Sophie Rohonyi believes that the middle class has been forgotten in this energy crisis. “This is why we must take measures that target the greatest number. And this is the goal of this reduction in VAT to 6%.”
Could this reduction in VAT be a jump in the index in disguise? “No, that’s why it must be combined with consideration in the consumer price indices. This will allow it to be taken into account in the context of wage indexation”, judge Sophie Rohonyi, before to continue: “After all, it is common sense to consider gas and electricity as basic necessities. Today, too many households have to choose between eating hot food and heating themselves. This is unacceptable. We cannot cannot allow such a situation to continue.”
As for Belgium’s energy future, could stopping nuclear power in 2025 reduce the price of energy or make our country more energy self-sufficient? “The government has bet on betting a little too heavily on gas-fired power plants. This is ecological and diplomatic nonsense, since we are currently dependent on Russian gas. We are going to increase a dependence which is already a problem today today”, before continuing: “To get out of nuclear power, there are several conditions to be met, including energy supply and the impact on households. At some point, you have to be able to be lucid, and ensure that that we do not respect this decision to phase out nuclear power in 2025 for ideological reasons, regardless of the impact on households.