© RTL/Archives
Following the municipal elections on 11 June, the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) experienced a significant setback in Pétange.
The party's share of the vote dropped from approximately 41% in 2017 to about 29%, leaving the party with six out of a previous eight seats. Nonetheless, a coalition between the CSV and the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP) was formed, accompanied by a change in the mayor's position. Jean-Marie Halsdorf succeeded his party colleague Pierre Melina as the new mayor and has now been in office for roughly 100 days. His aim is to maintain the policies of his predecessor while fostering progress.
One of the pivotal pre-election issues was security, and Halsdorf is committed to addressing it. To bolster security measures, the municipality of Pétange is set to hire two additional municipal agents, bringing the total to eight.
Mayor Halsdorf also highlighted the importance of regular collaboration with the local police department. He stated that they meet every three months to assess their focus, identify issues within the municipality, and collectively devise solutions for improvement. In addition, the mayor revealed plans to overhaul the local security plan, developed in 2007, in the upcoming months.
On the subject of parking facilities, the municipality intends to invest in multi-storey car parks, with the next one slated for construction on Rue de Niederkorn near the Pétange cemetery. Strict parking time limits in front of shops are also on the agenda, to prevent them from being occupied for extended periods of time by cross-border commuters, as stated by the mayor.
Pétange plans to manage growth amid population surge
With around 20,000 inhabitants, Pétange is the fifth largest municipality in the country in terms of population. However, the municipality is taking measures to control the rapid growth within recent years.
Halsdorf stressed the need to slow down growth due to its implications for the provision of facilities such as drop-in centres (maisons-relais) and schools. Explosive growth has resulted in a deficit of maisons-relais spaces, according to the mayor. Efforts are underway to address this issue, with new buildings recently opened in Lamadeleine and under construction in Pétange, located opposite the Hotel Threeland. In addition, a significant €72 million project in Rodange is progressing, featuring the construction of a maison-relais, a school, underground parking, and a school sports hall.
Before the elections, the opposition had criticised the lack of transparency in communication coming from the majority parties. In response, Halsdorf refuted this accusation, asserting that citizens have "always" been kept informed. He also pointed out that all municipal council meetings are now live-streamed on the internet. From a financial perspective, Pétange maintains a relatively healthy financial standing, with a debt of around €90 per capita. Halsdorf affirmed an intention to continue the cautious financial policy pursued in recent years, into the future.
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