Over the last five years, the Lufthansa Group has made a profit of EUR 9 billion, the majority of which went into the pockets of shareholders such as German billionaire Heinz Hermann Thiele. But now that the airline is in trouble, it is asking for 290 million euros in public aid to save Brussels Airlines. The community is supposed to put its money where its mouth is and pack the shareholders' wallet. This is an outdated model for the PTB-PVDA, who advocates a publicly-owned airline.

In Belgium, since 11 May, contact tracing has been in place. Contacts of infected persons will have to remain in home quarantine for 14 days if they are called by a tracer. With the government's current proposal, many people will suffer a loss of salary of 30% during their quarantine. For many families, this is another potential financial loss after the one caused by the lockdown. Sofie Merckx, MP of the PTB-PVDA, proposes that the salary would be maintained in case of quarantine: "To fight the coronavirus, we need to do our utmost to ensure that as many people as possible can follow the advice of contact tracers. That means everyone should be able to keep his income."

Speech by Peter Mertens, chairman of the PTB-PVDA, at the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the victory over fascism, 8 May 2020, Breendonk

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May First speech of Peter Mertens, chairman of the Workers' Party of Belgium (PTB-PVDA)

Prevention must be a crucial aspect of our healthcare response to the corona pandemic. Both to prevent the spread of the virus and to deal with the social consequences of the corona crisis. The fact that many countries fall short in this respect has a lot to do with the organisation of their health care. This brings the importance of strong public health care back to the fore.

They're going to the factory to save lives. On the heights of Herstal, Safran Aero Booster usually manufactures aircraft engine parts. Since mid-March, workers have been unemployed with supplementary pay. All of them? No. A few volunteers still come to the factory to make spare parts for the respirators that hospitals need. Meeting with Stefano Scibetta, shop steward FGTB (socialist trade union federation) Métal.

Medicine for the People, the network of people's clinics linked to the PTB-PVDA, has medical teams ready to screen staff and residents of nursing homes in the fight against coronavirus.

The fight against the coronavirus pandemic is often compared to a war. We are indeed facing a titanic challenge. But, when going up to the front, it is better to be alert, resilient and well-rested than already exhausted. For decades, our Western health care system has been subjected to waves of budget cuts and privatization. Our economy itself was already in bad shape when it was hit hard by this unforeseen crisis. Following the 2008 crisis, we must draw genuine conclusions from this coronavirus crisis and effect radical system change. Our health, our social future and the climate are at stake.

Only when it is getting dark do we see that the stars are shining. That is when we realize that the ordinary people are the driving force of our country. Let us not forget that, not now, not ever. Now that we have a clear picture of who is keeping this country running, let us make sure they do not have to pay for this crisis.