What are their positions on parental leave, working less for the same pay and social benefits?

The RTL round table on family and social issues touched on a number of controversial ideas and proposals which were discussed by politicians from the Democratic party (DP), the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' party (LSAP), the Greens, the Christian Social People's party (CSV), the Alternative Democratic Reform party (ADR), the Left, the Communist Party of Luxembourg (KPL) and the Pirate Party Luxembourg.

A common goal seems to be to increase the time parents can afford to spend with their children and to decrease social inequalities in the country.

The DP plans to extend parental leave to 18 months and to have the government pay for social security contributions.

The LSAP prefers to bring down the working hours and to introduce the right to part time work.

The ADR presented a particularly controversial idea. The conservative party wants to introduce a parental allowance and give one parent the option of staying home for longer: "We have a solution, in which every family would get the same, whether they would like to spend that money on child care services or stay at home with their children. Caring for children at home would finally get adequate financial recognition", ADR's Sylvie Mischel explained.

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"Women have a right to a decent pension, but should also have equal rights when it comes to activities (I guess she means job opportunities?)", Sam Tanson of The Greens counter-argued. "We have great women that have studied hard, and it would be sad to introduce policies that would encourage them to stay at home."

LSAP politician Taina Bofferding also criticised the ADR plan. She argued that it can be very hard for women to find work after an extended break.

Encouraging more women to become stay-at-home mums would mean that "The ADR's parental allowance would become tomorrow's starvation wage", according to the socialist candidate.

More doubts surrounded the question of whether the ADR plan would even be feasible from a financial point of view.

Other talking points were measures against poverty, raising the minimum wage and a tax reform for a fairer distribution of wealth.

The RTL guests were:

1) Minister of Family and Integration Corinne Cahen (DP)

2) Marc Goergen (Pirate Party Luxembourg)

3) Taina Bofferding (LSAP)

4) Gilbert Simonelli (KPL)

5) Sylvie Mischel (ADR)

6) Sam Tanson (The Greens)

7) Marc Spautz (CSV)

8) Nathalie Oberweis (The Left)