In an interview on RTL Radio on Saturday, the former Minister of Finance Luc Frieden stressed that the government needs to step up the pace of its vaccination campaign. Other countries could serve as examples of a more pragmatic and efficient approach.
On the other hand, Frieden defended the decision to delegate the purchase of vaccines to the European Commission, while adding that it may have been beneficial to still allow individual countries to make their own purchases on top of the joint orders. Frieden also supports the idea that the EU should not export vaccines for the time being.
When asked about the early vaccinations affair at the Hôpitaux Robert Schuman, the former politician of the Christian Social People’s Party (CSV) replied that “if rules have been laid out, they need to be respected”. Frieden stated that the vaccination strategy and the prioritisation of certain groups simply made sense.
While Frieden declined to comment on the justifications given by Jean-Louis Schiltz, he explained that Hôpitaux Robert Schuman regularly hiring Schiltz’s law firm is not a conflict of interest “per se”.
The current president of the Chamber of Commerce stressed that Luxembourg “always needs to strive to be among the best”. In order for the economy to recover, the government needs to organise a quick and effective vaccination campaign, which would then allow the country’s companies to operate normally again. After that, the priority should be on offering companies an appealing business environment, which should include an appropriate tax law.
Regarding the future of the CSV, Frieden stated that he will not participate in the party’s general assembly on 24 April, during which members will elect the next party president. As president of the Chamber of Commerce, Frieden has decided to distance himself from party affairs. However, he did add that it would not be “an atypical situation” in any party, if multiple candidates entered the race.
Frieden concluded by saying that he does not plan to return to politics himself, and he also does not believe in a comeback of Luxembourg’s former Prime Minister and President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker.
