Marc Lies' departure as Hesperange mayor marks the end of a long and eventful chapter in local politics, spanning more than 25 years of public service, political clashes, and personal strain.

After more than 25 years in municipal politics, Hesperange Mayor Marc Lies this week announced that he will step down from his post due to health reasons, while continuing to serve as a Member of Parliament. He made the announcement during a meeting of the Hesperange municipal council on Monday, six months after the politician of the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) had already taken a break from office for the first time.

Earlier this year, Lies had intended to take two months off to recover from what he described as "extreme stress". However, as he explained to the council in mid-March, that break had not gone as planned.

Lies criticised the opposition for not respecting his leave, and returned early – accompanied by a written misstep that would reignite controversy.

In early March, an email sent by Lies to the local CSV section became public. In it, he referred to one opposition politician as an "idiot" and suggested another would fit well in a party he mockingly called "Profilneuros". The email surfaced amid an investigation involving a civil servant accused of manipulating their working hours.

This was not the first time Hesperange had been associated with cases of misconduct, although the scale was different from the major fraud scandal of 2019, in which two civil servants were found to have embezzled more than €5 million over 20 years.

Nor was it Lies' first written faux pas. The previous summer, Minister of Home Affairs Léon Gloden overturned a hiring decision by the municipality after it came out that the person hired lacked the required qualifications. The controversy deepened when it emerged that the individual had a direct family connection to the mayor.

Following the annulment of the appointment, Lies sent text messages to members of the opposition with phrases such as "Your action will have consequences", a message that at least some of his political opponents interpreted as a threat.

However, the incident that drew the most criticism came from a Facebook comment posted by Lies in early March last year. In response to a post about five hens being stolen and decapitated, Lies blamed the incident on Jean Asselborn's so-called "open gates" immigration policy, and claimed that society had been completely destabilised by the left-wing parties and the press.

This prompted a confrontation between the Hesperange mayor and the CSV leadership.

Now, after more than 25 years in local politics, Lies has decided to withdraw completely from municipal life. He acknowledged that the decision was difficult, but said he no longer has the strength required to carry out his duties. His health simply wouldn’t allow it, said the CSV politician, who has been open in the past about suffering from burnout.

A bank employee by profession, Lies was first elected to the Hesperange municipal council in 2000 and became an alderman in 2005. He then served as mayor of the municipality from 2009. That same year, he became a Member of Parliament and was re-elected in 2013, 2018, and finally 2023.

Although he declined to give interviews, referring instead to a statement issued by the Hesperange branch of the CSV, Lies is quoted as saying that he now intends to focus his full energy on his role as a Member of Parliament, a mandate he will retain.