The opposition parties have voiced strong criticism regarding a recent meeting on housing measures, describing the information provided as too vague. Despite the presence of three ministers at the relevant parliamentary committees, little new information was gleaned.
The government, led by the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) and the Democratic Party (DP), has proposed 40 measures to address the housing crisis gradually. However, the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP), the Left Party (Déi Lénk), the Green Party (déi gréng), and the Pirate Party remain sceptical about the planned collaboration with the private sector to create affordable housing.
With only an hour and a half allocated for the meeting, which included 40 measures, three ministers, and MPs from three parliamentary committees, many found the format insufficient.
Green Party MP Meris Šehović labelled the procedure "a scandal," criticising the authoritarian conduct of the meeting and the fact that the measures were presented to the press before being discussed with MPs. Šehović also noted that MPs were prevented from asking all their questions, the housing segment remained basically unaddressed, and the meeting had to be interrupted. He called the process "extremely unprofessional" and "a mockery of parliament," warning that such handling will not be tolerated in the future.
Pirate Party MP Marc Goergen shared this sentiment. MP Alexandra Schoos from the Alternative Democratic Reform Party (adr) also criticised the presentation's format. However, her party actually agrees with many of the government's ideas. Schoos noted that the proposed measures look promising on paper, although their implementation will heavily depend on the municipalities.
Meanwhile, the LSAP advocates for a legislative approach rather than just a grand-ducal regulation. The party is also highly sceptical about the proposed collaboration with the private sector to create affordable housing.
MP Paulette Lenert emphasised that her party supports integrating affordable and state-owned housing into a social infrastructure, co-financed by the public. Lenert insisted that such housing should not necessarily be cost-covering and certainly not profit-oriented.
MP David Wagner from the Left Party took a more critical stance, quipping, "In another life, I'll become a property developer because then life is really easy." Wagner argued that developers in Luxembourg enjoy significant advantages, especially under the current government, which he accused of providing tax benefits and essentially being at developers' disposal. Wagner described the situation as bordering on scandalous, calling it "an abuse of public funds."
Unsurprisingly, CSV MP Alex Donnersbach disagreed with these assessments. Donnersbach argued that the government must explore new approaches to expedite housing creation, suggesting that sticking to traditional methods is no longer viable. He views the new collaboration with the private sector as an important first step.
Donnersbach acknowledged the importance of details, noting that these will be further developed in parliamentary committees.
