At first, the debate gained momentum on Facebook, with residents querying whether all the candidates had homes within the municipality. Now, Vianden mayor Claude Tonino has weighed in on the discussion.
Two or three candidates belonging to the team “No beim Bierger” (roughly, “close to citizens”) - in opposition to Tonino’s campaign - are at the heart of the debate. Appropriate steps would be taken, Tonino said.
“I think it’s clear that a candidate standing in a municipality where they are not registered is a punishable offence,” he said. “We have to apply the right procedures. The same thing happened in Remich last year, where they carried out checks.”
The focus is mainly on candidate François Weyrich, owner of a roofing business in Vianden. He has been accused of having his main residence across the German border in Körperich, and only registering in Vianden for show.
The businessman admits to having a second home in Germany but maintains he is primarily settled in Vianden. He says he believes it is up to citizens to decide who they are happy to vote for, adding that if the current municipal council believes things should proceed differently, then it was a sign that they were nervous.
If the candidates in question are elected to the council and later disqualified, the consequences largely depend on the timing. If they are disqualified prior to being sworn in, the post would go to the next candidate. However, if disqualification happens after the swearing-in ceremony, it would trigger a by-election, as majority municipalities are not able to have more than one seat open at any given time.
Both Tonino and Weyrich are part of the Vianden orchestra and sit beside one another, which could lead to tension after the elections.
Vianden swimming pool has stood empty since 2019, after the ITM identified budget deficits and ordered its closure. A new project worth 18 million euros, partly funded by the government, is on the table.
Weyrich’s team “No beim Bierger”, made up of nine candidates, has criticised the fact that the pool has been abandoned for four years, and consequently plans to reopen it on a smaller scale next year should they be elected.
The treetop-climbing park in Vianden also closed down in 2020 due to safety concerns over the condition of the trees. There are no plans to reopen the park; instead, it is currently being demolished. Tonino said the council had looked for another operator but had been unable to find anyone to take the park on, and added that it was not the municipality’s job to run a leisure park.
Visitor numbers had dropped significantly prior to the park’s closure and there had also been criticism from the forest administration due to the park’s location in a Natura 2000 zone.
Weyrich has spoken out against the poor maintenance of the park.
Discussion is also rife over the town’s historical centre, as Weyrich has criticised the parking situation. He said a project to build a multi-storey car park with 120 spaces was around 12 years behind schedule, after plans to build it on Grand-Rue some years ago were later rejected.
In addition, the conversion of a former nursing home into a youth hostel has also led to a loss of parking spaces in the town centre.
Tonino countered this criticism with the fact that 130 new parking spaces had been added over the past three years, offering around 1,000 parking opportunities for the town’s 2,200 inhabitants. He went on to say there were plans to increase parking spaces as well as implement a parking guide system.
In terms of commerce, both parties agree that too many business premises are currently empty in the town. Tonino plans to make the town more attractive to retailers with “active mobility”, including plans to introduce a 30km speed limit in the Ieweschtgaass.
Weyrich in contrast hopes to introduce galleries aimed at artists and craftsmen.
