Hesperange mayor under fire for derogatory remarks

Following the leak of a controversial email sent by Marc Lies, Mayor of Hesperange and MP for the Christian Social People's Party (CSV), opposition politicians have voiced their criticism.

The political climate in Hesperange has been tense for some time, with a recent disciplinary issue involving a municipal civil servant further intensifying the situation.

In an interview with our colleagues from RTL Radio, Councillors Stephen de Ron of the Green Party (Déi Gréng) and Mathis Godefroid of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP) expressed their dismay over the contents of the leaked email.

In the internal message to his CSV colleagues, Mayor Lies referred to de Ron as a "clown" who "talks nonsense," while describing Godefroid as someone who would fit into a party focused on "image and superficiality."

De Ron, who works as a lawyer, described Lies' choice of words as completely unacceptable. While acknowledging that such language might be used in private communications among party members, he called it "unprofessional, disrespectful, and unworthy of someone holding the public office of Mayor and MP."

The Green Party councillor took particular issue with what he called "targeted defamation" in the email. Lies accused de Ron of violating the rules of a closed municipal session by sharing confidential information and documents with the press. De Ron firmly denied these allegations, stating, "This is nothing but a lie, a false accusation, and deliberate defamation."

De Ron emphasised that his professional integrity is his most valuable asset, both as a politician and as a lawyer. He warned that anyone attempting to damage his reputation with false claims must be held accountable. "At the very least," he said, "I expect an apology from Marc Lies."

Marc Lies: "Wording could have been different"

When questioned about the leaked email, Mayor Lies admitted he was "very upset" when he wrote it, claiming that "the two men from the opposition" had spread factual inaccuracies and misinformation. Lies emphasised that his comments were not intended for public dissemination and were shared only within the local CSV chapter.

While acknowledging that his choice of words could have been more measured, Lies maintained that his primary concern was addressing the issue at hand. He explained that his goal was to inform CSV members that the upcoming municipal council session would focus on facts, not what he described as "alternative facts" allegedly presented by "the two gentlemen."

Lies denied publicly defaming anyone, stating that he would never engage in such behaviour and had not done so in the past. Instead, he claimed that he, his family, and the municipal administration had been subjected to "bullying" over the past seven months.

The mayor described the leak of the email as "regrettable" and called on the local CSV committee to investigate the matter. While he acknowledged that the person responsible was unlikely to come forward, he assured that the incident would be "internally discussed and addressed."

In January, Lies announced a two-month political hiatus, but he conceded that the break had "practically been for nothing" due to the recent scandal. He revealed that he had resumed his duties at the municipality this week and planned to return to his normal routine in the coming days. Lies expressed disappointment that his attempt to find "peace and calm" during the hiatus had been thwarted.

The mayor also lamented that, for the second time in seven months, confidential documents had been leaked. Additionally, he accused de Ron of defaming him in a social media post on 21 July, a claim he had not previously addressed.