In the wake of a graduation speech by the headmistress of the Lycée technique pour professions éducatives et sociales (LTPES), Minister of Education Claude Meisch has emphasised that schools must actively work against right-wing extremism.

The debate centres on whether Claudine Muller, headmistress of the LTPES secondary school in Mersch, breached her neutrality by addressing right-wing politics in her speech at the diploma ceremony. This issue was raised once again by MP Fred Keup of the Alternative Democratic Reform Party (adr), who had already asked an identical parliamentary question two weeks ago, questioning whether civil servants should use such platforms to express personal political views.

Minister Meisch once again defended Muller, stating that her speech was an appeal to the core values of Luxembourg society as outlined in the constitution.

He noted that political neutrality for civil servants and schools is bounded by constitutional and human rights principles. As such, public schools should not remain neutral in the face of threats to democratic values, including right-wing extremist or populist ideas.

Meisch stressed that while schools should foster tolerance, this does not extend to tolerance of intolerance. He affirmed that it is "absolutely permissible, indeed desirable," for schools to "fight against right-wing extremism and populism," adding that such efforts are "unfortunately no longer a given."