The 2020 draft budget was put to a vote by MPs on Thursday morning. It was adopted by 31 votes for and 29 votes against -the same result as the multiannual budget for the period 2019-2023.
The day before in Parliament, the draft budget had been subjected to strong criticism by the opposition, who announced they would be voting against it.
The Minister of Finance, Pierre Gramegna, noted on Wednesday, at the end of the budget debates, that almost no speaker had spent more than two to three minutes on public finances and the deficit of 640 million euros.
For Gramegna, it seemed to suggest a consensus on the stability of public finances.
Opposition speakers, however, criticised the budget during their speeches and announced they would vote against the proposals on Thursday. MPs began meetings from 8am to discuss the motions to be voted on.
David Wagner, député des Lénk, a non seulement reproché au gouvernement de n'avoir rien entrepris contre la pauvreté, mais en plus de mener une politique qui provoque encore davantage de pauvreté.
Lors de son intervention mercredi soir, le député CSV Laurent Mosar est revenu plus généralement sur le gouvernement. Il accepte qu'un politique souhaite renoncer aux responsabilités, comme le ministre de l'Economie, mais le spectacle auquel se livre Etienne Schneider, ne lui convient pas.
Laurent Mosar a également critiqué le ministre d'Etat, Xavier Bettel. Il l'a qualifié d'"homme invisible", qu'on ne verrait plus beaucoup à la Chambre.
David Wagner, MP for dei Lénk, not only criticised the government for having done nothing against poverty, but also for pursuing policies which could exacerbate the issue further.
During his speech Wednesday evening, CSV MP Laurent Mosar criticised the government in general and in particular what he deemed a "spectacle" surrounding Minister for the Economy Etienne Schneider, who has said he will step down in spring 2020.
Mosar also criticised Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, calling him an "invisible man" who is rarely seen in the Chamber.
