CSV calls on governing parties to 'draw conclusions' from controversy

The Democratic Party (DP) but also its coalition partners, the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP) and the Green Party (Déi Gréng), must ask themselves whether they can accept that the Luxembourgish government and the country itself have "lost credibility abroad", CSV Party President Claude Wiseler said at a press briefing.

Wiseler stated that, on the one hand, the Prime Minister has lost credibility, but he has also committed a "deontological error" and proven that his political work is "superficial" – something which Wiseler claims was already "well known".

While the CSV does not call on the Prime Minister to step down, Wiseler announced that the different party committees will discuss the plagiarism affair further in the near future.

More reactions to plagiarism investigation

The Prime Minister's decision to ask for his thesis to be rescinded despite the university's offer is proof that he cares about the reputation of science and scientific work, Gilles Baum, the head of the DP Parliamentary Group, said. Baum also rejects the criticism that the affair will have a negative effect on credibility.

The head of the DP Parliamentary Group stressed that the Prime Minister is evaluated based on his work with his party and with his government. Baum also pointed out that the report by the university in Nancy confirms that "the praxis and guidelines" were different 20 years ago. For this reason, Baum thinks that any judgement should take this into account.

For the head of the LSAP Parliamentary Group, Yves Cruchten, the case is now closed. While Cruchten acknowledges that the affair "has not been good" for the Prime Minister, he stresses that he sees no reason to doubt Bettel's integrity. Cruchten made it clear that the story "will not harm the coalition in any way".

MP Sven Clement from the Pirate Party, on the other hand, has a much more critical view on the matter. Clement describes the university's offer to retroactively improve the thesis as "a favour to the Prime Minister". Any student can use this precedent as "a welcome excuse" if they are ever caught cheating, the MP criticised, adding that the affair is a slap in the face for scientific integrity.

Clement wonders whether the university wanted to protect its own 'directeur de mémoire', who supervised the Prime Minister's thesis at the time, as well. The MP pointed out that when the affair was first revealed, the university employee had rushed ahead in defence of Bettel before the university had time to react. Clement added that he has the feeling this was as much "Saving Private Xavier" as it was "Saving the Directeur de mémoire".