Viviane Fattorelli, mayor of Audun-le-Tiche across the French border, described the issues faced by a town in which 60% of residents work in Luxembourg.
Dual citizen Viviane Fattorelli was born in Esch-sur-Alzette, but grew up across the border in Audun-le-Tiche, where she now holds the position of mayor. To add to her cross-border credentials, she works as a French teacher at Schengen high school, which is situated in Perl, Germany.
One could say Fattorelli is well-acquainted with the injustices experienced by those in cross-border situations. As mayor, she is not entitled to political leave in either of her home countries, as she holds no national mandate in Luxembourg, but cannot apply in France as she is employed by the Grand Duchy. Despite numerous letters to both the Luxembourgish and French authorities, her situation remains unchanged from 2021. Her case has been referred to the IGC, the Franco-Luxembourg Intergovernmental Commission, yet she is yet to receive a response.
60% of residents work in Luxembourg
The municipality is suffering in terms of growth. The population of Audun-le-Tiche has risen over the last few years to over 7,300 residents at the last census, but the municipal budget is just 13 million euros. 60% of residents are cross-border workers, although Fattorelli says many of these are "atypical", with the number of former Luxembourg residents moving across the border increasing as they cannot afford rent or mortgages in their own country anymore. This phenomenon has had a knock-on effect on house prices in Audun-le-Tiche, the mayor explains, with rent prices undergoing a significant increase as a result.
A single GP for the whole municipality
Fattorelli was elected mayor three years ago, and a significant cornerstone of her election campaign was residents' access to care. Although there are four qualified doctors living in the municipality, just one is still practising, while the others have since retired. The situation is critical, she explains, as the majority of doctors and nurses from the Greater Region tend to work in Luxembourg, where the pay is better. Although the local authorities are in the process of constructing a multi-disciplinary medical centre, the fact remains that 60% of the residents have health insurance in Luxembourg. This is another topic to be discussed by the IGC, says Fattorelli, as the municipality has no sway over the matter.
Cooperation within the Greater Region is another issue. Although Audun-le-Tiche is part of the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) Alzette-Belval, which should in theory allow it to launch joint projects across various sectors, not much has come of this initiative, the mayor says.
Tax kickbacks are a "question of fairness"
Regarding tax retrocession, Luxembourg has an agreement with 553 Belgian municipalities, returning part of its revenue - 48 million euros in 2022 - to the local authorities annually to compensate for its residents who pay taxes in the Grand Duchy while making use of the infrastructure in their home towns. There is currently no such agreement with France or Germany. Fattorelli describes this as a "question of fairness", and a "sensitive issue between Luxembourg and France. Tax compensation could take different forms, she explains, such as developing joint projects. Any such compensation is sorely required by Audun-le-Tiche to boost its meagre budget, as the population grows. "New infrastructure is necessary, such as schools or nurseries," Fattorelli continues, pointing out that the Grand Duchy should be paying its share in order to ensure social cohesion in the cross-border regions.
