About this Episode
Politicians reacted strongly to the AfD’s surge in Saxony-Anhalt, where the party won almost 44% of the vote. Prime Minister Luc Frieden warned that extremism offers false, unworkable solutions and urged the political centre to restore reasonable answers. Deputy Prime Minister Xavier Bettel called the result a warning, noting many voters remain opposed to the AfD but may be disillusioned by politics. ADR MP Tom Weidig criticized the “firewall” strategy against the AfD as counterproductive. LSAP’s Taina Bofferding warned the far right threatens solidarity, democratic institutions, and rights for women and LGBTIQ+ people. Green MP Sam Tanson described the outcome as “terrifying” and stressed the need to rebuild trust. Pirate Party’s Sven Clement blamed politicians’ ideological rigidity.
Luxembourg’s new passport, introduced in May of this year, is reported to have NFC-chip reading issues at automated border controls abroad. Pirate Party MP Sven Clément raised a parliamentary question after travellers experienced unreadable passports with apps — including the US ESTA app — and at e-gates in countries such as Germany and Thailand, forcing manual checks.. Clément hopes the cases are isolated rather than a design fault. The passport remains valid for 10 years for adults and costs €50.
Financial regulator warns AI brings significant benefits but also “incredible risks” to finance, says CSSF head Claude Marx. In the watchdog’s annual report Marx cautioned autonomous systems could pursue unintended objectives, creating systemic threats if mass cyberattacks spread through payment, clearing and settlement systems. AI can both strengthen cyber resilience and be exploited by criminals or rogue states to find vulnerabilities quickly; other risks include bias, hallucinations, operational failures, vendor lock‑in, deepfakes and market manipulation. Marx urged faster adoption of modern AI tools and stressed the need to upskill senior and middle managers.
Luxembourg is advancing long-delayed plans to redevelop Stäreplaz/Étoile, with preparations underway to put the Route d’Arlon road underground and redesign the area to accommodate a tram and remove cars near a planned building complex. Mobility Minister Yuriko Backes said the tender for the road relocation is being prepared; construction could begin in 2028 pending a signed Special Development Plan (PAP) and necessary approvals. Design work for an underground bus station is underway, with construction aimed to start at the end of 2029 if the PAP and municipal infrastructure arrangements proceed. The tram extension west toward CHL and Strassen remains on track to open around early 2033, with no major risks identified so far.
