The Independent Luxembourg Broadcasting Authority (ALIA) has issued a reprimand to the television channel Apart TV for airing a programme in which two politicians were accused of hate speech.
The programme featured former Member of the European Parliament Astrid Lulling (CSV) and DP MP and Luxembourg City councillor Simone Beissel, who, according to ALIA, made stigmatising remarks about certain populations.
In ALIA's view, the two politicians engaged in "hate speech" during the January 2024 episode of the show "Riicht Eraus" ("Unfiltered") by using what the authority described as "unacceptable language" to target non-Luxembourgish beggars.
Specifically, Lulling and Beissel drew a distinction between Luxembourgish beggars and foreign beggars, specifically members of the Roma and Sinti communities, noting their "darker skin colour."
The two politicians further described the behaviour of these beggars as "aggressive" and suggested that action should be taken to prevent them from begging in Luxembourg City. ALIA condemned these remarks as a clear incitement to hatred and a stigmatisation of a specific segment of the population. The authority emphasised that freedom of speech cannot be used as a defence in this case.
As a result, ALIA has reprimanded Apart TV for broadcasting the programme, stating that it should not have aired such content.
