The state of emergency was declared last Wednesday. It was approved by a Grand Ducal decree and was initially valid for 10 days.
All MPs voted in favour of prolonging the state of emergency by up to three months.
Chamber President Fernand Etgen openend the parliamentary session at 2pm. He started by reiterating that Luxembourg’s parliament will remain operational despite the state of emergency that was declared earlier this week.
MPs will keep physical distance from each other (2 seats), Etgen explained. Despite the physical distance, he added, “we are closer together than ever” in these turbulent times. Parliament will continue to coordinate efforts with the government.
The draft bill for the extended state of emergency requires a two-thirds majority, Mars Di Bartolomeo explained. He stressed that drastic times call for drastic measures, and that Luxembourg has not been in a similar crisis since WWII. “But we have something that the virus doesn’t have: our intelligence,” he added. Determination, solidarity, and efficiency will be Luxembourg’s key tools to win the race against the virus, Bartolomeo said.
The state of emergency gives the government the power to take new measures as soon as possible, without having to run them by parliament first. Bartolomeo explained that this does not mean that parliament will become inactive. The Chamber of Deputies will continue to assists the government.
He explained that, if the crisis is over before the three months come to an end, the state of emergency also ends. Parliament will maintain its legislative powers and remain able to interfere if necessary. Luxembourg’s juridicial system will also continue to be operation. It would therefore be wrong to think that Luxembourg is no longer a constitutional state for the duration of the state of emergency, Bartolomeo underlined.
Bartolomeo explained that the vote on the state of emergency was the “most far-reaching project in decades.” But it is also, Bartolomeo added, a necessary step in the right direction.
CSV MP Martine Hansen then took over from Bartolomeo. She stressed that resolution and quick reactions from the government’s side are required to bring the situation under control. Hansen is not against a compete lockdown if the situation demands it. She cited the quick rise of new infections and coronavirus deaths in Luxembourg, which exemplify the acute seriousness of the situation.
Hansen stressed that the threat of the virus for the entire population is unambiguous. At the same time, Luxembourg’s normal legislative procedures are too slow to deal with the worsening crisis efficiently. Hansen concluded that it was therefore required to vote in favour of the prolonged state of emergency. “Anything else would be irresponsible,” Hansen said. She conceded that it was a difficult decision, especially for the opposition party, to grant these exceptional powers to the government for the maximum period of three months. She lamented that many crucial questions still remained open. She concluded that the approval of the prolonged state of emergency would set a strong example of unity and collective political strength.
Hansen nevertheless explained that the CSV’s willingness to vote in favour of the extended state of emergency should not be misinterpreted as the opposition party’s uncritical acceptance of the government’s measures. She argued that many of the measures were simply too vague and, at times, contradictory. She concluded that critical scrutiny continue to be the mission of the opposition party and of the Chamber more generally.
She cited a number of points that, according to her, the government has failed to illuminate. She for example cited Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, who had promised that the government would support each company negatively impacted by the virus. Minister of the Economy Franz Fayot, on the other hand, said yesterday that it would not be possible to help each business. Hansen stressed that similar internal contradictions should be avoided.
She concluded that the state needs to “strengthen its immune system to embark on the race against the virus.” Political responsibility should go hand in hand with personal responsibility.
The CSV is in favour of the prolonged state of emergency, Hansen said.
The DP MP started by urging young people to stop meeting their friends and reduce social activity to a strict minimum. Baum again stressed the importance of personal responsibility and reiterated the importance of the various measures that the government took.
He thanked the police, the army, the civil servants, those working from home, and everybody else involving in the fight against of spreading of the virus. Baum said the prolonged state of emergency was a necessity.
The LSAP MP stressed that the key principle should still be “stay at home.” He took issue with some of the points that the CSV raised. He explained that nobody could have anticipated the true extent of the crisis and therefore deemed some of CSV’s criticism unfair. he underlined that the government acted as quickly as possible and implemented crucial measures. “We’re not clairvoyants or magicians,” he metaphorically explained.
It is crucial for the entire population to respect the rules and measures, he stressed. Egoistic behaviour or ignorance should not jeopardize the lives of innocents.
Engel explained that the LSAP welcomed the prolonged state of emergency but simultaneously stressed that MPs would continue to examine the government’s future measures critically.
Lorsché began by outlining the political implications of the state of emergency (see above). She explained that it was understandable that this change could be misinterpreted as a restriction of democracy. The Chamber of Deputies, however, can interfere at any moment. The Greens are therefore in favour of the prolonged state of emergency, Lorsché explained.
The alarming situations demands that the Chamber of Deputies vote in favour of the extension. Lorsché again stressed the importance of personal responsibility.
Lorsché expressed hope that the coronavirus will open new doors in the future, notably to more solidarity, and a more just society.
Kartheiser argued that it was not an ideal solution but nevertheless stated that the ADR would support the prolonged state of emergency to save as many lives as possible.
He argued that it was crucial for the government to justify the measures that are taken. The public needs to understand why the authorities may interfere with personal liberties, Kartheiser explained. “We need to protect the rights of the public,” he emphasised. The best way of guaranteeing these rights is for the Chamber of Deputies to meet at least once a week.
He argued that it was also necessary to reduce commercial injustices: large retailers (that primarily sell food) are for example still allowed to sell clothes while smaller clothes shops had to close. Kartheiser stressed that the government needs to tackle these injustices.
“This is not a delegation of power from the Chamber to the government,” Baum stressed. The Chamber will still have the power to invalidate measures deemed incorrect. Baum stressed that Luxembourg’s parliament will remain critical and active.
“The state of emergency is a dangerous state for a society,” Baum explained. Doors for political abuse can easily be opened. It is crucial that Luxembourg remains a constitutional state, Baum stressed. In this context, it will be the Chamber of Deputies’s role to remain vigilant. “We need to be careful that, once the crisis is over, our freedom has not been weakened, or vulnerable people left behind,” Baum concluded.
Clement argued that it was important for the government to have the power to act as quickly as possible in the best interests of society. The extraordinary circumstances demand extraordinary measures, Clement said. He added that it was with mixed feelings that the Pirates support the prolonged state of emergency - under normal circumstances the government should not have these powers.
Clement lamented that many people are still failing to respect the new measures - despite the Pirate Party’s generally more critical stance on repressive measures, Clement argued that fines were a legitimate way to protect the collective in these circumstances.
Prime Minister Xavier Bettel similarly deplored that many people are still not following the new regulations. He stressed that the clock was ticking, and that the government would continue to consult the Chamber of Deputies. “We want to limit [the state of emergency] to the crisis,” Bettel emphasised. “The law is not perfect, but we tried to find a solution as quickly as possible. [...] The government had no other choice,” Bettel explained.
Despite delays, Luxembourg is collecting larger amounts of medical equipment. Testing has gone up considerably - 1500 tests were carried out yesterday. Luxembourg is among the countries that test most actively, Bettel explained.
The Prime Minister also explained that it was better for the public to use wifi rather than 4G networks. Bettel stressed that the government was determined to support all companies that are negatively affected by the virus. “I take great pride in the solidarity we have in Luxembourg,” Bettel said.
All 56 MPs voted in favour of the prolonged state of emergency.
