Luxembourg - 94.63
6
The German method perfected
2021 saw a rare instance of political unrest in Luxembourg, a country normally content with its situation and politics. A riot broke out at the home of Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, which had to be suppressed by Luxembourgish and Belgian police. Luxembourg’s style of governance draws heavily from the German method, and this is reflected in their comparatively low freedom score. Luxembourg’s strict hate speech laws were of concern, as well as bans on face coverings in certain public settings.
Human Rights - 100
Luxembourg has fully abolished the death penalty and guarantees a full gamut of LGBT rights. Abortion is legal to 14 weeks.
Democracy - 95
Luxembourg is a constitutional monarchy, limiting its score to 95. The Grand Duke is the formal head of state and retains largely ceremonial powers, while the Prime Minister is the leader of the majority coalition. The legislature is directly elected. Elections are free and fair with a strong multi-party system and voting is compulsory.
Freedom - 78
Luxembourg has strictly enforced hate speech laws, carrying sentences of eight days to two years as well as fines. A 2018 law (temporarily overturned due to COVID) banned face coverings in schools, medical facilities, public gatherings, public transport, and retirement homes. The law was aimed at the country’s very small fundamentalist Muslim minority and has drawn criticism for violating the country’s guarantees of religious freedom. A 2016 law prohibited the government from paying the salaries of Christian clergy hired after that point, which the government has traditionally done. The government still allocates funding to the six largest religious groups in the country based on the most recent census, according to their size (Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, Church of Luxembourg, Islam, Judaism). Luxembourg recently legalized cannabis for both medicinal and recreational purposes. Membership in a rifle organization is required to own guns. Luxembourg may issue gun ownership licenses for semi-automatic handguns, bolt-action rifles, and shotguns.
Economy - 97
0.3% of Luxembourgish live below the international poverty line, while 19% live below the national poverty line. 6.96% of Luxembourgish are unemployed. Luxembourg has a very low economic disparity. Luxembourg offers free government health insurance accepted by all of the country’s private hospitals, which provide high quality healthcare to the entire country. Luxembourg’s GDP shrunk 1.3% in 2020 and grew 2.3% in 2019.
Health - 100
Luxembourg has a life expectancy of 83 years and an infant mortality rate of 0.22%. 22.6% of Luxembourgish are obese, while 0.25% are malnourished. Luxembourg promises free health insurance accepted by all private hospitals in the country. Nearly all Luxembourgish have access to clean, running water.
Corruption - 91
Bribery occurs sometimes in meeting with tax officials. Public contracts are sometimes awarded through favoritism or nepotism. Luxembourg has limited laws regarding accepting gifts, lobbying, and mitigating conflicts of interest, which has drawn criticism from other EU countries in the past.
Competency - 100
No major issues were reported in this area.
Future - 95
Luxembourg’s future looks bright. Luxembourg’s economy has been growing faster than most other EU countries and it suffered only a minor hit due to COVID-19. Luxembourg has recently been loosening laws on drug use and has been distancing itself from religious organizations.
Actions Abroad - 90
Luxembourg is a member of the EU, NATO, and BeNeLux. Luxembourg maintains a more pro-Palestine stance than other European countries, despite maintaining exclusive recognition of Israel. Luxembourg has voted in favor of Palestine on a number of resolutions and has condemned Israeli settlements in the West Bank and military action in Gaza. Luxembourg is generally isolationist and maintains good relations with most nations.