As the anniversary of the new government approaches, parliamentary party leaders such as Marc Spautz and minority parties like the Pirate Party announce their verdicts on the first year.

17 November marks the one year anniversary of the Luc Frieden (CSV) and Xavier Bettel (DP) government. Having been in opposition for ten years, the people deemed it to be time for the Christian Social People’s Party to return. Although the Democratic Party did keep the majority of votes, they lost the position of Prime Minister. Has the governing body found its groove, and are they able to live up to their expectations? The answers to these questions can vary considerably, depending on who we might ask.

Let’s start with the representatives of the majority parties. It is not surprising that they hold back on their critiques, keeping in mind that praising the government is practically part of the job description for majority deputies. DP parliamentary party leader Gilles Baum takes that aspect quite seriously:

“I think that in this first year a lot has already been achieved. Naturally, the government had to take some time to get used to each other. Nevertheless, it is a government which enables people to come together, I am thinking about the energy, agriculture and housing roundtables. I am also thinking about all of the measures which have already been taken to relaunch the housing market. We know that housing is one of the major problems generating poverty in Luxembourg. It is normal for measures to take time until they have an effect.”

Looking at the fight against poverty, Gilles Baum is content that the CSV-DP coalition intends on continuing the social policy which had been supported by the three-party coalition for the past ten years. As an example for future social measures, Gilles Baum mentions that people who are benefiting from the social inclusion income (REVIS) will also be granted the right to benefit from the energy tax credit.

Social policy is also close to the heart of former trade unionist and now CSV parliamentary party leader Marc Spautz. He sees the government advancing on the right path, even though they got off to a rough start: “I believe they did good work., as it was an actual government shift. Before, the majority that was already there was able to carry on. Now, a new majority has found itself here. It is a true that the beginning presented us with some difficulty... well, that isn't the right word, we simply needed some time, but I do think good work was done. The adjustment of the tax table for inflation was a measure from which people profited. At the energy and agriculture roundtables, the priorities that were necessary were instated.”

In the meantime, a clear and functioning dialogue has been formed between the two parties. The Pirate party is not part of the majorities, thus Marc Goergen’s conclusion about the CSV-DP government might come as a surprise:

“The first report already appears to be positive, because the government introduced a new dynamic into play. There are points which we like more, such as their tax policy, since the Pirate Party shares the opinion that the middle-class needs to be relieved, because they had been burdened by Gambia, the DP, LSAP and Déi Gréng coalition, for far too long. We agree with the government on these points. However, measures such as a begging prohibition do not agree with our opinions. That means it’s a bit mixed.”

While Finance Minister Gilles Roth and Minister of Agriculture Martine Hansen were praised, Minister of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity Serge Wilmes and Minister for Home Affairs Léon Gloden received less good feedback. That Léon Gloden did not have the best start is also noted by Marc Spautz and Gilles Baum, despite their praise.

The DP parliamentary leader also includes Minister of Labor and Sports Georges Mischo in the criticism of suboptimal communication, attributing it to the major differences between the work of a minister and that of a mayor.

Distancing oneself from a coalition partner is, after all, also part of the job description of a majority deputy.

You can watch the full Luxembourgish report tonight on TV, in the "Journal".