Gérard Schockmel

Gérard Schockmel (born 9 March 1961) is a Luxembourgish virologist and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he has served in the Chamber of Deputies since October 2023, representing the Centre constituency.

Biography Education and professional career Schockmel was born on 9 March 1961 in Esch-sur-Alzette. After studying in Belgium, Austria and Germany, he worked in HIV research at the University of Oxford, obtaining a PhD in 1992. Schockmel then worked for the pharmaceutical industry in Basel and for the Robert Schuman Hospital in Kirchberg.

He gained national prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the foremost infectious disease specialists in Luxembourg,

Political career Schockmel joined the Democratic Party (DP) in July 2023 He has highlighted what he perceives as a lack in communication surrounding the importance of Covid vaccines, with a number of Luxembourgish residents relying on social media for information and being exposed to conspiracy theories, with former Health Minister Paulette Lenert rejecting the last claim.

Controversies

In October 2025, following the Chamber's Institutional Affairs Committee's near-unanimous approval of a proposal to enshrine abortion rights in the Constitution of Luxembourg, Schockmel published an opinion piece in Luxemburger Wort in which he voiced his opposition to the decision and described modern feminism as a "ruthless ideology" driven by "deep hatred and intolerance", denouncing "systematic discrimination against men". His comments were condemned by a number of politicians, including from his own party, with DP President Carole Hartmann stating that the article did not reflect the party's position, and DP Equality and Diversity Minister Yuriko Backes saying she was "saddened" by its publication.