These noteworthy figures, indicative of heightened civic engagement, can be attributed in part to the implementation of a new website and app in 2021-2022, as highlighted by Nancy Kemp-Arendt, the president of the Parliamentary Petitions Committee.
She remarked, “people place great importance on these petitions, cherishing the opportunity to voice their opinions in the halls of the Chamber of Deputies. With the introduction of our new website, this will continue to be the case in the future by enabling people to use the medium of a modern democracy.”
The spectrum of themes covered in these petitions is diverse. However, recurrent topics revolve around matters concerning mobility, housing, finance, and health.
Petitions serve additional purposes beyond expressing citizens’ perspectives and desires to the Chamber of Deputies. They also serve as instruments to bring attention to issues that might otherwise go unnoticed by lawmakers. An example of this was the petition advocating for increased resources in the children’s oncology department, according to Kemp-Arendt.
She explained, “this particular petition revealed that Luxembourg was not in compliance with international standards. There were not enough beds available and a doctor was being paid by the Cancer Foundation rather than the CHL hospital.”
Following this petition, the Ministry of Health was prompted to take immediate action, including reaching out to the Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg (CHL).
Petitions can be submitted through the Petitions.lu website.
