The former politician and first woman to become mayor of Luxembourg City said we should “never give up on Europe”.

Addressing the rise of the far-right in Europe, and recent comments by Minister Franz Fayot towards the ADR in the Chamber, who called the ADR ‘extremely right wing’, following the recent debate on the 2023 budget, Colette Flesch argued that Luxembourg has often had ‘rightist political movements’ that were ‘far more right-wing’ than the ones current in parliament, and that they have always fizzled out and successfully ignored by mainstream political parties into irrelevance.

Colette Flesch spoke to Christos Floros about her life, work, and her views of Luxembourg and Europe today in the pilot episode of a new show produced by RTL Today, that aims to give more people in Luxembourg access to the public figures that lead and shape the country.

Watch the full interview in Conversations with Christos on RTL Play

In the conversation, Colette Flesch recalled a meeting of a political party where the discussion was critical of the presence of foreigners in Luxembourg.

Flesch remembers taking the floor and asking participants to raise their hands if they had 4 Luxembourgish grandparents: “there must have been 12 or 15” she said. And so she went on, asking people to raise their hands if they had 3, 2 or 1 Luxembourgish grandparent, at which point, she also raised her hand and told the room: “Need I say more?”

In the conversation, available to watch exclusively on RTL Play, she called ‘immigration part of our heritage in Luxembourg’, saying “we are by need more open” and “approve of the European Union” because we are stronger together.

When asked, if looking forward, we should continue to strive for an inclusive society or attempt to promote more integration and assimilation, Ms. Flesch replied critically: “We should have an inclusive society…we can't [demand that] foreign residents here, all become Luxembourgish. We shouldn't be integrating by force” she said.

The former politician also said that she believes we should continue to welcome foreigners who decide to come to Luxembourg, and encourage those who want to become Luxembourgish.

“Respect those who have chosen to make this country their home” she said, making reference to many of her former colleagues, now friends, who installed their lives and families in Luxembourg to work for EU institutions whose ‘lives and friends’ are ‘here’ and who ‘see this country as their home’.

Immigration and our inclusive society, she said, are elements of success of both our economy and the country.

She also said we should ‘never give up on Europe’, when asked about whether she still believes in Europe and the European project, making references to both the enlargements that she advocated for and saw through in 2004 and 2007.

Colette Flesch appeared hopeful about the future for Europe and continuing European unification, and called the recent blocking of Romania and Bulgaria from joining the Schengen Zone a mistake. However, admitted that there haven’t only been positive elements to enlargement.

Asked about whether Lydie Polfer is still the most suitable candidate for the city, ahead of next year's elections, and in the context of her having, effectively, led the City since 1982 (as Mayor for 26 years) then a young 30-year old, she emphatically put her support behind her 70-year old former colleague.

The pilot episode with Colette Flesch is available on RTL Play.