Hesperange opposition defends actions amid tensions over post cancellation

The controversy began when the Ministry of the Interior revoked the nomination of a candidate who did not have the necessary qualifications for the position of coordinator within the municipality. The candidate did have a personal connection to the mayor, Marc Lies.

This prompted a heated debate between Mayor Lies of the CSV and the opposition parties—LSAP, the Greens, and the Pirates.

The opposition raised concerns about the nomination process, sending a formal letter to the Ministry of the Interior. This sparked accusations from Mayor Lies, who claimed the opposition was acting with malicious intent.

In response, the opposition parties issued a communiqué stating that their actions were part of their duty, not a personal attack.

According to Mayor Lies, the opposition's actions were intended to damage his reputation. "They only want to cause harm and wipe me out," he stated during the meeting. He further criticised the opposition for making public a confidential communication from a closed-door meeting, calling it a violation of privacy.

"It is the right and duty of an opposition to challenge decisions made by the majority," the opposition responded. "We are also within our rights to raise concerns with the supervisory ministry."

However, they expressed frustration over the mayor’s accusation that the opposition acted dishonourably by leaking private information.

Lies questioned whether the opposition had considered the potential impact on the individual involved, emphasising, "Every person has the right to respect for their private life. Shame on you."

The mayor abruptly adjourned the meeting after his speech, leaving the opposition unable to respond.

According to Stephen De Ron of the Greens, this move silenced their voices. "It's wrong for the mayor to accuse us and not allow any response," he said. "It’s also not his role to play judge and claim we’ve violated the constitution or data protection laws. That’s for the authorities to decide, not a mayor in front of a camera."

The opposition noted that the data protection commission (CNPD) is now reviewing the case and called for a more composed approach from the mayor, who leads a municipality of 17,000 people.

Mathias Godefroid of the Pirates added, "We’d like to hear from the local and national CSV leadership, including the party president and prime minister, to see if they support these statements. We’re also waiting for a response from the DP section in Hesperange."

The opposition maintains that it was the majority that made mistakes in the nomination process, and now, by curtailing free expression and preventing a response, the mayor has made yet another mistake.