CSV PresidentFrank Engel announces re-election bid alongside major policy proposals

On Wednesday, Frank Engel, the current president of the Christian Social People’s Party (CSV), announced his candidacy for his own succession during the internal elections of the CSV’s general assembly, which is to take place online on 24 April.

Engel is the first, and so far only, candidate for the position of president. He addressed his fellow party members in a statement which included a nearly 20-pages-long programme.

In the document, Engel assesses the CSV’s current state, mainly pointing out that the party is too divided and has to come up with a completely fresh political project.

The former MEP states that, in his eyes, the CSV is the party of the “Luxembourgish Dream”, which, according to Engel, is the “dream of numerous citizens” to find their place in life, and to grow alongside their family and society as a whole.

Engel makes a number of specific policy proposals in the document which include:

• a “pandemic law”, which, according to the CSV president, is non-existent at the moment
• a complete restructuring of the healthcare system
• a reform of childhood and adolescent psychiatry
• the creation of specific legislation for “struggling companies”
• the introduction of a “Citizens’ Council” similar to a system that is currently being tested in the Belgian town of Eupen
• the introduction of a voluntary national civil service

Engel also calls for stricter criteria in the naturalisation process, especially regarding the ability to speak and understand Luxembourgish, a “zero tolerance” policy regarding drug trafficking, a reform of the election process, as well as the abolition of double mandates for politicians.