On Monday morning, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen attended the swearing-in ceremony for the new Commission at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.
As part of her visit, she was also received by Luxembourg's prime minister, Luc Frieden, who primarily discussed the European internal market.
The prime minister summarised the conversation as follows: "We need to ensure that the over-regulation we have witnessed within Europe over the past years does not lead to jobs leaving for other parts of the world - that would be detrimental to our prosperity. It was a very enriching exchange because it made me realise that the new Commission shares many views with the Grand Duchy."
The issue of German border controls was also raised, and Luxembourg took the opportunity to emphasise the importance of respecting the Schengen Agreement. While Frieden appreciates that several countries are currently facing challenges, he argued that these cannot be solved via internal border controls. Nonetheless, he sees cause for optimism that the situation will likely improve over the coming months.
Finally, Frieden addressed the ongoing tensions between Minister of Labour, Georges Mischo, and the trade unions. On Monday, OGBL President Nora Back and CSV Parliamentary Group Leader Marc Spautz came face to face in an RTL program after Georges Mischo declined the invitation. The Prime Minister stressed that the government remains committed to dialogue, although the next meeting with the unions has yet to be scheduled.
