Sanctions against Russia, a "social index", and housing were among the topics discussed by the new 'Fokus' party during a press briefing on Wednesday.
Frank Engel, the spokesman of Fokus, stated that the import of gas and oil from Russia must be stopped "immediately". Engel demanded "an end to the phone calls", stressing that it is time to propose solutions.
Regarding housing, Fokus demands a "major construction campaign" to put an end to the crisis. For the party, this campaign would see the construction of 100,000 dwellings "as fast as possible" and on the basis of an Emphyteutic lease.
Another proposal by Fokus is the introduction of a "social index". This new form of Luxembourg's indexation system would see people with low incomes receiving a wage indexation of 3% so that their net increase would be just over 2.5%. At the same time, the wage indexation would be progressively reduced for those with higher incomes.
Party President Marc Ruppert announced that the new party is growing "faster than expected". Fokus initially set itself the target of recruiting 100 new members in 100 days but Ruppert confirmed on Wednesday that the party had already crossed the threshold of 100 new members after just 50 days. The party president also stressed that the majority of new members are "not frustrated people from other parties" but people who are interested in getting involved in politics "for the first time".
