The composition of the new CSV-DP government is settled, with ministerial roles distributed among the parties. However, dissatisfaction is brewing, notably concerning the threefold responsibilities shouldered by Minister Claude Meisch from the Democratic Party (DP).
The Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP) and the Green Party (déi Gréng), now transitioning from governing to opposition roles, express reservations about the distribution of ministries. The focal point of discontent is the extensive portfolio managed by DP Minister Claude Meisch, encompassing the realms of Education, Housing, and Spatial Planning.
Opinion: Frieden, Bettel, and the baffling minister bingo of 2023Former Green Party Minister of Justice and Culture, Sam Tanson, raises concerns about the practicality of handling three distinct portfolios, questioning how one can effectively manage such responsibilities simultaneously. Tanson speculates that this may lead to neglect in one department or a lack of direct oversight by the minister himself.
In addition, Tanson criticises the appointment of Eric Thill, the young mayor of Schieren, to the Ministry of Culture, viewing it as a potentially hasty decision primarily motivated by regional considerations. “It looks as if they just really wanted to nominate someone from the north,” Tanson remarks. According to the former minister, the choice not only sets a bad example but would also hurt her personally: “Culture is a passion and not a political stepping stone!”
The LSAP also voiced surprise at the allocation of portfolios. The former Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Equality between Women and Men, Taina Bofferding, wishes Claude Meisch “good luck” for managing his various areas of responsibility. However, she is astonished that housing does not seem to be a top priority for the new government, “contrary to tourism, which apparently needs two ministers.”
Regarding her previous portfolio of home affairs, Bofferding hopes that her successor, Léon Gloden from the Christian Social People’s Party (CSV), swiftly implements initiated reforms to property and mobilisation taxes. She assured that she would follow the matter closely from the opposition bench.
The Left Party (déi Lénk) does not mince words in expressing its discontent with the government’s portfolio distribution, asserting that “nothing fits together, neither defence with equality between women and men, nor housing with education, nor the environment with the civil service.”
The newly appointed Minister of Labour, Georges Mischo, faces direct criticism from Marc Baum, who describes him as “essentially a nobody” in this area and deems him unfit for the role due to a perceived lack of competence: “This designated Minister of Labour recently said at a roundtable discussion that the greatest social achievement to fight for would be for the minimum wage to be adjusted to inflation. The whole room had to correct him that we already have this and that is called ‘wage indexation.’ But the designated Minister of Labour apparently didn’t know that.”
The Pirate Party, while more reserved, also raises concerns about the Ministry of Housing being assigned to the Democratic Party (DP). Marc Goergen questions this decision, suggesting that the CSV should have taken on the housing ministry, given its potential to address housing issues through fiscal measures and the fact that, compared to the DP, the CSV put forth more proposals on this policy issue.
As far as the nomination of outsiders such as Martine Deprez for Health and Social Security is concerned, Goergen thinks that this “is not a good look if you have suitable candidates who did well in the elections such as Nancy Kemp-Arendt.”
Similarly, the Alternative Democratic Reform Party (adr) hopes for a political shift but expresses disappointment in the nomination of Claude Meisch as Minister of Education. Fred Keup of the adr sees this as a violation of the CSV’s election promises, lamenting the perceived lack of change after ten years under Meisch.
Keup voices the collective disappointment of “colleagues, parents, and students” affected by education policies, expressing a desire for the new Prime Minister, Luc Frieden, to “keep Meisch in check” with regard to the education sector.
