People should not have to leave their villages to access certain services, says Max Hengel

In about a month, Max Hengel will succeed Françoise Hetto-Gaasch as an MP for the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) in the Chamber of Deputies. The former mayor and current member of the municipal executive in Wormeldange is also expected to succeed Hetto-Gaasch as a member of the parliamentary commissions on health, home affairs, housing, and education. In addition, the father of two has announced that he wants to put a particular emphasis on climate and environmental protection.

Hengel stressed that he wants to be "close to and in regular contact with the people". One of his main priorities, Hengel explained, is that people should not have to leave their village or drive long distances to access certain services. The police station in Wormeldange has already been closed with the post office to follow soon, he criticised. Residents of his hometown have to drive to Grevenmacher or Remich "just to get cash". Health care is also a problem in eastern Luxembourg, which is currently the only region in the Grand Duchy to not have its own out-of-hours medical centre ("maison médicale"). Hengel stressed that medical care must be assured in the east as well, adding that projects are already underway for Grevenmacher and Junglinster.

Regarding the 'CSV-Frëndeskrees' affair, Hengel declined to comment on whether or not the parliamentary group really had to denounce former party president Frank Engel to the public prosecutor's office. Nevertheless, Hengel stated that, in his opinion, everyone involved acted "to the best of their knowledge and belief". The focus should now be on discussing the affair thoroughly and explaining it to party members, Hengel said. At the same time, he added, the party should offer "perspectives for the future" instead of lingering in the past. Due to the pandemic, other topics have been put on the back burner, but the CSV has put forward proposals on "many subjects" in the past years, including housing, education, healthcare, and environment, Hengel stressed. Alongside its members, the party must now set its priorities, according to the soon-to-be MP.

A new beginning must include new faces and Hengel considers himself one of them. However, he also stated that it should be up to the individual MPs to decide when they want to resign in favour of younger members. After all, they have been elected to be where they are, Hengel pointed out.

The young politician intends to run for mayor again in the 2023 municipal elections, even though he is happy with being "just" a member of the municipal executive for now, as this allows him to focus on his new duties as an MP, he explained.