The repercussions of a recent online dispute between private weather service Meteo Boulaide and state-owned Meteolux became the focus of a parliamentary committee debate at the Chamber of Deputies on Thursday morning.

In the context of the debate, Minister for Mobility Yuriko Backes emphasised the importance of maintaining professional, transparent, and open relations with the press. The dispute began when Meteo Boulaide accused Meteolux, on social media, of failing to issue sufficiently targeted warnings ahead of flooding on 19 May.

The situation escalated, with allegations that a Meteolux staff member was operating an anonymous account. Additionally, the newspaper Tageblatt reported being threatened over the phone with removal from the state weather service's email distribution list. However, Minister Backes clarified that the newspaper could not simply be removed from this list.

The parliamentary committee discussed the fallout from the case. The rumour that the social media account belonged to a Meteolux civil servant was denied. Minister Backes reported that the civil servant in question also denied making any threats against Tageblatt, in a personal conversation with her.

As a result, the situation remains one of conflicting testimonies. Backes also revealed that the civil servant has filed a complaint with the police, not against the newspaper or a journalist, but against the individual from Meteo Boulaide involved in the social media exchange.

MP Joëlle Welfring of the Green Party (déi gréng) highlighted the need for improved relations between different state weather services. She suggested that the government explore ways to pool expertise within Luxembourg. Both Minister for Home Affairs Léon Gloden and Minister for Mobility Yuriko Backes expressed openness to this suggestion.

Meanwhile, MP Taina Bofferding of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP) suggested the possibility of future collaboration with private weather services. Bofferding criticised what she perceived as antagonism between different stakeholders, arguing that such discord undermines the goal of reacting quickly and effectively to emerging weather phenomena.

Additionally, MP Marc Goergen of the Pirate Party emphasised the urgent need to overhaul the alert system. He noted that the current method of dissemination via text message is outdated. The responsible minister has announced plans to introduce changes, in this regard, by autumn 2024. The aim is to enhance Luxembourg's preparedness for severe weather conditions through a more modern alert system.