About this Episode
Prime Minister Luc Frieden said underlying housing problems had not changed despite signs of recovery, noting demand remained high while supply stayed low. He said the government would focus on increasing supply by simplifying procedures, mobilising building land and boosting public and private construction. Data showed mortgage lending had partially rebounded to more than €5.8 billion last year but authorised residential units fell sharply in the last 2 years. Construction employment declined by 7 percent and close to 10 000 households were registered as seeking affordable rental housing on 1 April.
CSV MP Laurent Mosar broke ranks by publicly proposing a temporary cap on Luxembourg’s automatic wage indexation for higher earners. He justified his thought arguing it would be socially fair during exceptional crises to limit the 2.5 percent tranche on top incomes. He framed the idea as opening a debate rather than abolishing the system, and pointed to Belgium’s recent temporary cap as a precedent. Unions and left‑wing politicians reacted sharply, calling the proposal misguided and warning it would complicate collective bargaining and prompt compensatory demands that leave employers no better off. Critics also argued indexation preserves purchasing power rather than constituting a pay rise, while others urged discussion of alternatives such as higher top tax rates or targeting aid via social transfers.
Eleven bars and cafés across Luxembourg joined the “Ask for Angela” scheme, a discreet anti‑harassment initiative brought to the country by Terri Allington after she encountered it in the UK. Trained staff agreed to respond when a customer asked whether “Angela” was working, escorting the person to a safe place and offering help without drawing attention. Police welcomed the project and planned briefings for emergency responders. Allington funded the launch herself (about €7,000) after public funding was declined and said she was seeking private partners to expand the scheme.
The Chamber of Deputies adopted a bill to strengthen access to information, support professional journalism and update the definition of professional journalists. The law grants reporters a reinforced right of access to public documents, adapts the 2021 aid scheme and confirms that professional journalism must be the applicant’s main occupation for at least three months and cannot be combined with advertising activities.
