Luxembourg parliament shocked by anti-vaccination campaigners

Five years after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Luxembourg’s parliament debated a public petition on Wednesday calling for the establishment of an independent multidisciplinary commission to examine the political, scientific, statistical, and health-related aspects of the country’s covid-19 response, including the effects of vaccines.

The petition, submitted by French national Amar Goudjil, gathered 4,986 valid signatures (4,884 electronically and 102 on paper), surpassing the threshold required for a public debate under the previous petition regime.

Despite the interest generated, MPs ultimately decided not to establish a commission of inquiry. Lawmakers argued that investigating vaccines produced outside of Luxembourg exceeds the competencies of the national parliament.

“This goes beyond the competences of the Luxembourg parliament, and we are not equipped for this,” said Francine Closener (LSAP), president of the petitions committee. “The Parliament cannot set up a commission of inquiry into vaccines that were not produced in Luxembourg.”

As reported by the Luxembourger Wort, Goudjil, appearing before the Chamber, criticised the influence of the pharmaceutical industry on public health systems. “It is problematic that the healthcare system in general is completely parasitised by the pharmaceutical lobby,” he told MPs.

He also demanded full transparency on the contents of vaccine contracts. “If you don’t find nanotechnologies in the vaccines, I agree to go to jail for two years at my expense,” he said.

Astrid Stuckelberger, who holds a doctorate in public health from the University of Geneva, supported Amar Goudjil in the Chamber on Wednesday © Photo credit: ChambreLux

He further argued that vaccination is “a pure scam” and claimed no vaccine has had an impact on reducing pandemic waves. This statement was immediately rejected by LSAP MP and former Health Minister Paulette Lenert, who replied that Covid-19 vaccination significantly reduced the strain on intensive care units during the height of the pandemic.

Current Health Minister Martine Deprez reiterated that a parliamentary motion is already under review to assess which emergency measures from the pandemic could be integrated into a future public health law. “We are taking stock of what was implemented and what should be retained going forward,” she said.

Throughout the debate, MPs from the health and education committees stressed their openness to cooperation with the health ministry, but also pushed back against what they saw as unfounded allegations.

While no inquiry commission will be established, both government and opposition members emphasised their shared commitment to learning lessons from the pandemic as Luxembourg prepares new legislation on public health.