On Friday morning, our colleagues from RTL Radio discussed the European elections with Danielle Filbig, the co-lead candidate of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP).

Filbig underscored the LSAP's stance, stating, "It's not just about establishing a financial centre and a tax haven." The party advocates for questioning the right of veto within the EU across various domains, including foreign policy and taxation, even if it conflicts with Luxembourg's financial and fund centre interests. Filbig, elected to the municipal council in Raemerich last year, highlighted the importance of addressing significant issues without the impediment of individual country vetoes. According to Filbig, we are still "a long way from a fair and equitable tax system."

Meanwhile, Charles Goerens, MEP and lead candidate of the Democratic Party (DP), echoed a critical perspective on unanimity. However, his party, alongside the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) and the Alternative Democratic Reform Party (adr), recently supported unanimity in the Chamber of Deputies. The DP's stance remains firm that Luxembourg should not challenge unanimity under any circumstances.

The LSAP's campaign focuses primarily on advocating for more socially equitable policies. Filbig clarified that this emphasis is not due to inaction from LSAP Commissioner Nicolas Schmit in recent years. Filbig praised Schmit's efforts in advancing the European minimum wage. Nonetheless, she stressed the need for continued efforts to enhance fair working conditions across the EU.

EU is "on the wrong track" with migration pact

Maintaining her critical stance, the co-lead candidate expressed reservations regarding the European asylum and migration pact. She reiterated her opposition to the pact, stating that she would not have voted in favour of it. She emphasised that her party colleague and Vice-President of the European Parliament Marc Angel would also only have voted "very reluctantly" in favour in order to at least have some basis to work with. However, she believes that the current proposal does not respect human rights and does not adequately address the issue. According to her, differences of opinion within the party are natural, and it would be simplistic to expect unanimity on every issue.

"So far, nobody has said that they wouldn't accept the mandate"

When asked about her own prospects in the European elections, Danielle Filbig maintains a realistic outlook. She primarily views her role as a co-lead candidate as an opportunity. If elected on 9 June, she asserts that she would accept her mandate in Strasbourg and Brussels without hesitation.

However, other LSAP candidates, such as Mars Di Bartolomeo and Liz Braz, have been more reserved in recent interviews. While a definitive "yes" has not been explicitly stated by these politicians, Filbig notes that none of them have rejected the possibility either.

According to Filbig, the primary aim was to put together as strong a list as possible, adding that these elections would be extremely important for the LSAP. The party also takes pride in the strong showing of its candidates, with three ranking in the top 5 in the last Politmonitor survey.