The president of the liberal Open Vld party, Gwendolyn Rutten, is concerned about the overly intrusive checks on compliance with the new coronavirus (Covid-19) measures.
The police must ensure that the measures are respected, but the rule of law must also be preserved, even in exceptional times, she stressed on Twitter.
Laten we ons, ook bij goed weer, aan de corona-maatregelen houden. Samen komen we hier door. De politie moet hier mee over waken. Maar de rechtsstaat moet wel overeind blijven. Ook in uitzonderlijke tijden. Kliklijnen, warmtedrones en ongeoorloofde woonstbetredingen gaan te ver.
— Gwendolyn Rutten (@RuttenGwendolyn) April 2, 2020
Translation: "Even with good weather, let's stick to the corona measures. We'll get through this together. The police have to watch over this. But the rule of law must be upheld. Even in exceptional times. Tip lines, heat drones and unauthorised entry into homes go too far."
The centrist CD&V party also expressed its concern on Thursday afternoon via a press release about the "idea of whistleblower hotlines."
Rutten called on everyone to respect the rules, regardless of the good weather forecast for the weekend. However, she also considered the use of telephone lines where citizens can report others who do not stick to the rules, heat-measuring drones to detect whether people are in their second homes or illegal house visits to be excessive.
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CD&V said it "100%" supports the various measures taken to stem the spread of the coronavirus, "but the idea of setting up a whistleblower hotline, in whatever form, goes too far for us," the party added.
"Turning people against each other is the last thing we need in these difficult times," CD&V said, pointing out that the containment measures are "generally well respected."
The Brussels Times