The MPs of the three majority parties thus adopted the new Covid-19 law on Tuesday. As for the opposition, it did not hold back in its criticism. In particular, opposition MPs condemned the measures as "inconsistent, ineffective, drastic" and "unacceptable".
In their interventions, the MPs stated among other things that the number of new infections and the number of people dying with or from Covid-19 showed that the measures had not worked. An argument that, in the eyes of Minister of Health Paulette Lenert, does not hold up to scrutiny.
Lenert replied that the statement that the measures did not have any impact was incorrect and a simple look at the timeline of events made this very clear. She pointed out that the feared exponential growth had been intercepted and that this alone was "very important". Neither the government, nor any scientist could say for sure which particular measure triggered this, but the bottom line was that numbers went down by 28% on Tuesday. Therefore, Lenert stressed, it was simply incorrect to say that the measures had had no effect, adding that if anyone seriously thought that 30% was nothing, they should go and explain that to the public. People had made a lot of efforts and sacrifices over the past weeks and to say it had all been for nothing was, according to the minister, to take people for idiots.
The opposition continued to argue that the current measures, which have now been extended until 15 January, were not effective. MP Claude Wiseler from the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) stated that the measures taken by France and Belgium had been "extremely effective" and that this contrasted with the government's strategy: Luxembourg took measures and remained stable. According to Wiseler, this raised questions about measures that could produce effects similar to those in France and Belgium. However, they were not coming, and that was at the heart of the CSV's criticism.
Lenert stated that this was precisely what she had wanted to illustrate: in France and Belgium, drastic measures had been taken. In Luxembourg, however, she had no memories of anyone, not even in the parliamentary committee, pleading for similar measures back then, in mid-October.
Wiseler rejected the minister's argument and pointed out that his party had proposed "a whole series of measures" in the form of motions. In response to this, Lenert replied that it was indeed her conviction that "wearing a mask in Grand Rue" would not have changed the country's curve.
MP Marc Baum from the Leftist Party (Déi Lénk) clarified that no one had said that the measures had been "absolutely useless". However, according to Baum it was objectively true that they did not achieve the goal of relieving the hospitals.
