On Saturday, our colleagues from RTL Radio interviewed Minister of Education, Housing, and Spatial Planning Claude Meisch, who touched on a variety of topics, including priorities in housing policy and his decentralised approach to education.

Meisch emphasised that his primary goal as Minister of Housing is to rapidly increase the availability of affordable housing. He noted that municipalities play a crucial role in this effort but face numerous bureaucratic hurdles that slow down construction.

To address this issue, Meisch advocated for amending laws and regulations to streamline the process. He also highlighted the task forces established after the Housing Roundtable three months ago, which are expected to present their findings in the coming weeks.

Expanding construction boundaries "not a miracle cure"

Meisch stressed the importance of involving private property developers. To facilitate this, the state has been purchasing private projects and completing them. So far, contracts worth around €100 million have been signed, which are expected to add approximately 180 housing units to the market within the next two to three years. The state has also allocated an additional €200 million for future purchases.

The Minister acknowledged that the two public developers, the Housing Fund and the National Society for Affordable Housing (SNHBM), have not delivered enough housing units in recent years. However, he opposed merging these entities, citing concerns over increased complexity.

Meisch also mentioned that expanding construction boundaries could be beneficial in some cases but warned that it is not a "miracle cure." The government is using the sectoral housing plan to identify areas where expanding boundaries would be advantageous.

Meisch described the current housing market situation as "atypical." Historically, demand far outstripped supply, but this dynamic has shifted due to rising interest rates and the high cost of building materials. Transactions have decreased by 70%, Meisch noted.

Regarding the proposed Citizens' Fund, Meisch stated that no draft bill has been introduced yet. He emphasised that a mix of measures is necessary, including fiscal policies such as vacancy taxes and property taxes. These measures aim to encourage potential buyers to invest and motivate property owners to list their properties for sale.

A decentralised approach to education

In the education sector, Minister Meisch supports decentralisation. Educator training will now also be available in Belval, though the main site will remain in Mersch. Additionally, the Luxembourg School of Hospitality and Tourism (EHTL) in Diekirch will open an annex at Sanem Castle.

Until renovations are completed, this annex will be temporarily housed at Project GRIDIX in Wickrange. Meisch explained that the growing number of public international schools is a response to the increasingly heterogeneous student population, which might struggle in the traditional system.

No regrets for end of previous coalition

When asked about the coalition between the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) and the Democratic Party (DP), Meisch described it as "normal." He expressed no regrets for the end of the previous coalition between the DP, the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP), and the Green Party (déi gréng). Meisch stressed that political decisions should reflect the will of the voters rather than personal preferences of politicians. He highlighted the broad government programme for the coming years, noting that literacy classes are a crucial starting point.

Regarding the scandal he was involved in earlier this year, Meisch expressed his desire to move forward, noting that everything had been thoroughly addressed by all parties, including the public prosecutor's office.

When questioned about the suspension of the headmaster of Lycée Edward Steichen in Clervaux, Meisch expressed regret that the situation escalated to that point. However, he reassured that the school managed well during the turbulent period, and he does not anticipate any lasting damage. Meisch praised the current team at Lycée Edward Steichen for their performance. As for whether the suspended headmaster, Jean Billa, will return to his previous position, Meisch declined to provide a definitive answer.