The push for a referendum on Bettendorf's controversial exit from Nordstad merger talks has gained momentum, with citizens surpassing the signature threshold.
A citizens' initiative in Bettendorf has successfully gathered enough signatures to trigger a referendum on whether the municipality should reconsider its decision to withdraw from the proposed Nordstad merger.
On Wednesday, the initiative confirmed that it had surpassed the required threshold of 20% of registered voters. The petition was launched in response to an October decision by the Bettendorf municipal council to end merger talks with four other municipalities–Schieren, Ettelbruck, Erpeldange-sur-Sûre, and Diekirch–aimed at creating a new municipality known as "Nordstad" ("North City").
Bettendorf Mayor Patrick Mergen acknowledged in a recent interview with RTL that citizens have the right to initiate such petitions. However, he also emphasised that the referendum, once held, would be consultative and not legally binding for the municipal council.
The initiative plans to officially deposit the signatures at the town hall on Friday before formally requesting the referendum. Questions remain about whether the other four municipalities would still consider including Bettendorf in the merger talks.
Mayor Mergen stated that the municipal secretariat must now verify the signatures to confirm that the threshold has indeed been met. If validated, the municipality is required to organise the referendum within three months. Mergen expressed caution regarding the timing, noting that it should avoid coinciding with the carnival holidays, when many residents may be away.
The municipal council will meet on Wednesday afternoon, and the referendum initiative is expected to be a key topic of discussion. Whether the council will honour the referendum's outcome remains uncertain, given its non-binding nature.
