The case against compulsory voting

Together with a handful of countries including Belgium and Brazil, Luxembourg has laws on the books that make participating in parliamentary elections mandatory. Luxembourgish citizens, before they vote on 14 October, will receive a convocation de vote, or a ‘call to vote’, which explains to them that all citizens who did not already vote via […]

Legislative changes should help avoid diesel car bans

A court in Wiesbaden ruled last week that local authorities in Frankfurt must ban older diesel cars as part of efforts to clean up air quality. Much like earlier bans in cities like Stuttgart, the ban is taking place under questionable lobbying circumstances and denies consumer choice.

Nuclear energy is safe, yet Luxembourgish parties reject it

Luxembourg’s electoral debates have missed the ball on energy policy and energy security. When Russia invaded the Crimean Peninsula in early 2014, the last parliamentary election was already over, and four years have passed since. However, the relationship between the European Union and Russia is far from improving, even though many member states are dependent […]

The “free school books” aren’t free

The Luxembourgish government prides itself in its education policy, which, on a practical level, attempts make every aspect surrounding education “free”. Children starting school this month will be the first to have access to school books free at the point of use. They also benefit from 20 “free hours” of pre-school and “free” public transport […]

Are young candidates worth the hype?

You’ve seen them by now: large posters filling the cities and countryside of the Grand Duchy, proudly presenting the numerous faces running for parliament. And, as with every election cycle, the political parties are bragging about the presence of ‘young’ candidates (less than 35 years of age) on their ballots. Media outlets then calculate the […]

Petition passes parliament: can these activists ban smoking on terraces?

A petition launched by former teachers-union president Daniel Reding recently reached the necessary threshold of 4,500 signatures, in order to be debated in parliament. With only a narrow 4,550 signatures, the Committee on Petitions will first investigate the signatures before then organising a public hearing on said question. Reding is asking for a complete ban […]

The government’s ambiguity on the sharing economy is a problem

Luxembourg’s Ministry of the Economy supports sharing services such as Airbnb, yet the minister of transport has banned the ride-sharer Uber. This contradiction won’t have escaped those who follow government policy closely – and who can only be surprised by the gulf between deputy prime minister Etienne Schneider (LSAP) and transport minister François Bausch (déi […]

The Commission front-runner: who is Manfred Weber?

The German politician Manfred Weber is the current front-runner of the European People’s Party (EPP), making him the most likely personality to become the next Commission president. So who is Manfred Weber, and what does his candidacy mean for EU politics?