A woman who moved to Luxembourg six years ago is expressing relief that the government hasn’t taken into account her stance on dealing with Covid, because she doesn’t know what to think anyway.
“It would be nice to feel like I’ve got some kind of voice here, whether through voting, which I can’t do because I’m not Luxembourgish, or some kind of union of non-voting foreign residents,” said Renata Estudillo. “But the coronavirus situation is really tricky, and even if I had a voice, I don’t know what I’d say.”
Still, Estudillo says that it’s important for those in power to recognize the opinions and wishes of expats like her who contribute a hefty sum in taxes.
“Half the country is made up of people like me, so it’s logical they’d at least be curious how we feel, maybe send us a questionnaire about what we think is the right course of action,” she said. “But as to what the right course of action is, I haven’t a clue.”
Estudillo says that on the one hand, it seems the government should impose stricter measures, such as a partial lockdown, to really bring down the rate of infection. But on the other hand, she says, a second lockdown would certainly come with deleterious effects, such as catastrophic damage to certain sectors in the economy and increased stress and violence in households.
“It’s really a tough decision, with pros and cons on either side,” she said. “I thank God that I’m politically disenfranchised, because honestly, what are you supposed to do in a situation like this?”
“My message to those in power is this,” she added. “Do whatever you want, and don’t worry about my thoughts or feelings. Honestly.”
