The proposed "Findel Clinic" was branded a "dangerous project" by opposition MPs on Monday, as a Parliamentary Health Committee session revealed sharp disagreements over the role of private investment in Luxembourg's healthcare system.

The "Findel Clinic" project was the subject of debate in the Parliamentary Health Committee on Monday, revealing a clear divide between the opposition and the government coalition.

The session was initiated by the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP), which placed the item on the committee's agenda. LSAP MP and former Minister of Health, Mars di Bartolomeo, voiced strong objections to the project, stating, "The Findel Clinic is a dangerous project." The opposition's reaction to the project was thus far less reserved than that of Minister of Health Martine Deprez, who commented on the project last week.

Bartolomeo argued that the initiative threatens Luxembourg's solidarity-based healthcare system. He expressed concern over the collaboration between private investors – including developers, bankers, and doctors – suggesting their primary motive is profit.

"I don't think the two parties, doctors and investors, have come together out of the goodness of their hearts, but rather to make money from healthcare", Bartolomeo stated, calling the concept "unacceptable" and "non-negotiable" for his party. The LSAP expects "clear statements" on the matter and proposes that relevant ethical guidelines be codified, even if they are not currently in the code of medical ethics.

The project's name also drew criticism from the opposition. Bartolomeo and Green Party (Déi Gréng) MP Djuna Bernard argued that the term "Findel Clinic" is misleading for patients. They noted that the facility will not be a hospital or a traditional clinic, but rather a collaborative space for several medical specialties, and they hope the Medical College will address the naming issue.

In contrast, the Democratic Party (DP) offered a more measured perspective. DP MP Gusty Graas suggested that private initiatives should be considered if they serve patient interests.

"When there are initiatives, including private ones, we must at least give them a chance", Graas said. While acknowledging the need for analysis and strict legal compliance, he distanced his party from the opposition's alarm.

"To immediately think that our healthcare system is going to collapse is a view we do not share at all", Graas stated, calling such a narrative "a shame." He emphasised that while Luxembourg has "a good healthcare system", the country must still seek to improve it. In his view, the Findel Clinic project represents "an opportunity that should at least be given a chance, even if only in theory."

A separate study exploring the potential integration of a branch of the Centre Hospitalier Emile Mayrisch (CHEM) into the GridX shopping centre in Wickrange has also drawn criticism from the opposition.

MP Marc Baum of the Left Party (Déi Lénk) dismissed the concept as "fantasy", arguing that the government's primary focus should remain on the new "Südspidol" hospital. He also noted that CHEM already operates branches in Dudelange and Niederkorn.

Baum then presented a more pointed critique, which he acknowledged might be "controversial". He connected the proposed medical branch to the broader development of the site, which is spearheaded by a major property developer.

"Here we have one of Luxembourg's biggest property developers, who has secured his own motorway slip road, which, what's more, he is building himself", Baum stated. "He won this public contract. He is also going to get a tram station. The state is already renting entire floors of his building for the School of Hospitality and Tourism. And now, they want to set up a branch of the CHEM there as well, at the state's expense. At some point, you have to say, enough of this greed", Baum said.

In response, Minister of Health Martine Deprez indicated that this specific project had not been formally presented to her. After consulting with her representatives on the CHEM administrative board, she clarified that the idea had been mentioned once but was not discussed in detail. She confirmed, however, that the issue could be raised again at the next CHEM board meeting.