What lessons should society and politics learn from the Covid pandemic? Which measures were effective? And which ones had the most negative side effects? The Chamber’s scientific department has been looking into these and other questions.
The Chamber has rarely been as united as it was on May 2 of this year. On that day, the Luxembourg Parliament voted unanimously for a motion by Green MP François Bausch. The Chamber called on the government to examine the Covid pandemic and have the measures taken at the time reviewed by an independent body to determine their effectiveness. The “Cellule scientifique”, the scientific department of the Chamber of Deputies, was entrusted with this task. Almost three months later, the researchers’ report is now available.
The result is, by and large, not surprising. To paraphrase it briefly: Luxembourg’s politicians did their job well, especially in the acute phase of containing the virus, given the unprecedented situation. For its corona review, the science department summarized and analyzed numerous studies on the effects of the pandemic in Luxembourg. Political decision-making, according to the researchers, was guided during this period “by epidemiological surveillance, prospective studies and scientific projects.” “During the pandemic, politicians had to constantly seek a balance between the benefits and risks of health measures, with epidemiological, economic, social, political, legal, constitutional and practical considerations playing a role,” write the authors.
In the eyes of the scientists, the deputies of the Chamber had a special task in this situation. The health crisis led to a “parliamentary revitalization.” “The Chamber of Deputies, as a democratically elected body, was thus able to strengthen its role as a legislator and as a parliamentary control of government work. The role of the opposition was also revitalized, as illustrated by the large number of parliamentary questions and urgent inquiries,” the researchers write in their report.
Legitimate restrictions on freedom
Regarding the decisions made by democratically elected representatives during the Corona crisis, there were also different opinions among the Luxembourg population about their severity, necessity and usefulness. After analyzing various studies, the experts from the Chamber’s science department came to a clear conclusion: “Some precautions that effectively reduce the spread of the virus can be temporarily legitimate, even if they override fundamental freedoms and have an impact on mental health, social balance, education or the economy.” But this applies above all in the acute phase of the crisis. As soon as the health situation changes and the level of knowledge increases, these should be replaced by more targeted and appropriate measures.
The researchers go into detail about the benefits of the individual measures. Social distancing, physical distancing rules and the requirement to wear masks were effective in reducing contact between people and thus the spread of the virus. Vaccination also played its part in containing the virus, depending – not surprisingly – on the dominant virus strain, the age of the patient and the date of the last dose. The conclusion about the various pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical measures is consistently positive. Although there was an increase in deaths in Luxembourg in 2020, this mainly affected people over 65 with pre-existing conditions. Some of these deaths were directly related to a Covid infection, others were not. In Luxembourg, excess mortality was only observed in 2020; between 2019 and 2022, the Grand Duchy was below the EU average.
In the eyes of the experts, the health measures have been effective in slowing the spread of the virus. However, the short- and long-term side effects of the corona measures must not be ignored.
Increased inequalities
Even though policymakers have focused on those most at risk from the crisis with various financial support systems, social and gender inequalities in Luxembourg have increased during the health crisis, the scientists say. People with low incomes had a higher infection rate and a higher risk of developing serious or fatal illnesses. In 2022, more than one in five households reported that they had difficulty living a life with dignity. Households with children, single parents, young people and residents of Portuguese nationality were particularly hard hit. According to the science department, women suffered disproportionately from the socioeconomic consequences of the pandemic. For example, they took on a larger share of unpaid work, such as childcare. The risk of domestic violence also increased during the pandemic. However, the available data does not allow us to conclude whether this was actually a significant increase, the scientists say.
Another important point that the Chamber’s researchers have proven with numerous studies: the pandemic and its countermeasures have led to a deterioration in mental well-being – with increased levels of depression, anxiety, loneliness and stress, especially during lockdowns. Here, too, as with the socioeconomic burden, women and young adults are hit hardest, the authors write. At the same time, however, the pandemic has also contributed to a destigmatization of mental health problems, which could partly explain an increase in registered mental health problems.
One of the biggest victims of the pandemic, one might conclude after reading the report, could be young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Their educational opportunities, school performance and psychological well-being have deteriorated during the health crisis, according to the scientists’ analysis. In particular, the closure of schools and the introduction of home and distance learning have contributed to growing educational inequality in Luxembourg. While neither the number of new schoolchildren in the “Enseignement secondaire classique” nor the success rate in the final exam have decreased during the pandemic, a decline in performance can be observed, especially in terms of language skills, among Luxembourg students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
In the future, the researchers conclude, school closures should be avoided as long as the situation allows. Instead of social distancing, measures to reduce physical contact should be used, such as protective masks, outdoor classes, changing timetables and greater distances in the classroom.
For the next pandemic
Overall, the authors of the report give a positive assessment of the communication and information campaigns of the various governmental and non-governmental actors in Luxembourg. However, they do have one criticism: “Citizen participation in the development of measures must be increased: surveys, petitions, demonstrations, etc. help to understand citizens’ fears.”
Different levels of acceptance of measures in different European populations and different national socio-economic contexts mean that individual states will continue to need extensive sovereignty and autonomy in developing national strategies for dealing with pandemics, the researchers concluded. Overall, Luxembourg’s special demographic characteristics have favored “an agile management of the health crisis.” In addition to the country’s small geographical size, the scientists also include a dynamic, diversified and stable economy, efficient social security and health systems and a favorable climate of political consensus and trust.
