RTL Today - Your Weekly Recap: GD Henri bids farewell on National Day, US brokers Iran ceasefire, and NATO makes historic spending pledge

Your Weekly Recap for 23–27 June 2025.

Here are five things you should know at the end of this week:

Grand Duke Henri bids emotional farewell on his final National Day
Unions face resistance as they ramp up pressure over pension reform plans
Kayl councillor demands financial compensation after alleged assault at retirement party
Airstrikes exchanged between US, Iran end in uncertain ceasefire
NATO bows to Trump spending demands while Luxembourg eyes tech payoff

1. Grand Duke Henri bids emotional farewell on his final National Day

Grand Duke Henri marked his final National Day as Head of State with a heartfelt farewell address at the Philharmonie, announcing his upcoming abdication on 3 October after 25 years on the throne.
Emotional tributes, including a commemorative light show, a ceremony in Esch-sur-Alzette, and interfaith prayers at the Te Deum, honoured his legacy and reign.

The transition of power to Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume was a central theme throughout the celebrations, signalling a new chapter for the monarchy.

Farewell message – Grand Duke Henri's final National Day as Head of State was a deeply emotional milestone, marked by a moving address at the Philharmonie where he reflected on his 25-year reign and formally confirmed his decision to abdicate on 3 October 2025. In his speech, he expressed profound gratitude for the trust and support of the Luxembourgish people, highlighted his commitment to serving until his last day in office, and spoke warmly of passing the responsibility to his son, Prince Guillaume.

National Day celebrations – The country paid tribute to Grand Duke Henri's legacy through a series of meaningful and symbolic moments woven into this year's National Day celebrations. A spectacular sound and light show at the Grand Ducal Palace honoured key milestones of his reign, while a poignant farewell visit to Esch-sur-Alzette featured personal touches like vintage photos and a gift of the city's golden book page he first signed as an engaged man.

The Te Deum service at the Cathedral brought these tributes to a close with interfaith prayers, a carefully curated musical programme, and a farewell address by Cardinal Hollerich praising Henri's steadfast sense of duty and service to the nation.

Passing the torch – Throughout the festivities, the focus steadily turned to the future of the monarchy and the transition of power to Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume. In his own remarks, Grand Duke Henri spoke with clear confidence in Guillaume's readiness to lead, describing him as wise and deeply connected to the country, with Princess Stéphanie by his side to take on her new role.

The ceremonial moments, official tributes, and gatherings such as the post-National Day garden party at Berg Castle all highlighted this generational shift, setting the tone for a new era under Luxembourg's next sovereign.

2. Unions face resistance as they ramp up pressure over pension reform plans

Luxembourg’s main trade unions, OGBL and LCGB, are organising a major national protest on 28 June demanding urgent reforms in pensions, healthcare, and working conditions.
Business lobby UEL, led by Michel Reckinger, has called for a boycott of the protest, accusing unions of spreading misinformation and acting out of lost political influence.
Civil servants, led by the CGFP, held a separate demonstration against pension reforms on 26 June, denouncing the government's consultation process as a “sham” and warning of further action.

Unions gear up – Luxembourg's largest trade unions, the Independent Luxembourg Confederation of Trade Unions (OGBL) and the Luxembourg Confederation of Christian Trade Unions (LCGB), are mobilising for a large-scale demonstration in Luxembourg City on Saturday, 28 June, to call attention to pressing concerns over healthcare funding, pension reforms, and deteriorating working conditions. They are urging both Luxembourg residents and cross-border workers to join, emphasising solidarity across all sectors.

The unions argue that essential sectors like healthcare are under growing pressure, with staff shortages and overwork compromising patient care. Protest organisers hope the event will send a clear message to the government that policy decisions must involve those directly affected, particularly as public frustration over reforms continues to grow.

Calls for boycott – Michel Reckinger, president of the Union of Luxembourg Enterprises (UEL), has strongly criticised the upcoming protest, calling it misleading and politically motivated. Speaking on RTL radio, he accused union leaders of exaggerating issues like wage stagnation and purchasing power, claiming that living standards have actually improved.

Reckinger argued that the real motive behind the protest is the unions' diminished influence within the current political landscape, and he accused them of abandoning social dialogue in favour of public confrontation. He urged citizens to boycott the protest, suggesting they spend time in nature with Prime Minister Luc Frieden instead, and reiterated the importance of a government-employer-union meeting scheduled for 9 July to address pension issues constructively.

Civil servants mobilised – On 26 June, more than 300 civil servants rallied outside Luxembourg's Chamber of Deputies, led by the General Confederation of Civil Servants (CGFP), to protest proposed pension reforms that would extend the working age. The CGFP denounced the government's public consultation process as insincere, claiming it was merely for show and that the administration had already made up its mind.

Union president Romain Wolff warned that the changes could harm younger job seekers and strain employers forced to retain ageing staff. The protest received support from other unions and MPs, highlighting a growing coalition against the government's labour and social policy direction.

Despite tensions, CGFP leaders agreed to attend the upcoming 9 July meeting with the government but left open the possibility of intensifying protests.

3. Kayl councillor demands financial compensation after alleged assault at retirement party

A dispute at a Kayl retirement party led Councillor Amilcar Caetano to accuse a municipal worker of assault and seek €2,000 in compensation, prompting questions of blackmail.
Legal experts say the demand does not amount to blackmail but call the sum excessive, suggesting a court would award far less if damages were proven.
Kayl's municipal board rejected the demand, and the case was dropped without further legal action.

'Giant moron' – The incident occurred on 30 April during a retirement celebration at a Kayl municipal building, where Councillor Amilcar Caetano, representing the Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR), claimed he was verbally insulted and physically struck by a municipal employee. According to Caetano, the worker called him a "giant moron" and slapped him on the forehead with an open palm.

Caetano then sent a letter to the worker demanding €2,000 in exchange for not filing a police complaint, prompting the municipality to forward the matter to the Ministry of Home Affairs for review.

Standard practice – While some observers questioned whether Caetano's request constituted blackmail, legal expert Jean-Jacques Schonckert clarified that under Luxembourg law, such out-of-court settlement demands are not unusual and do not amount to criminal coercion. However, Schonckert emphasised that the €2,000 figure was likely excessive, noting that in similar cases, courts rarely award more than a few hundred euros without substantial proof of harm.

He added that the burden to prove both the incident and the damages lies entirely with Caetano, and that no special weight would be given to his role as a councillor in the legal assessment.

Case closed – The executive board of Kayl's municipal government, led by Mayor Jean Weiler, unanimously opposed Caetano's demand and considered it inappropriate, opting instead to refer the case to higher authorities. The Ministry of Home Affairs recommended an internal review and suggested that a police report be filed if any criminal behaviour was confirmed – though the municipality insists the ministry ultimately concluded no such offence occurred.

With no payment made, no formal complaint lodged, and the municipal worker's behaviour deemed vulgar but not criminal, the local authorities now consider the matter resolved.

4. Airstrikes exchanged between US, Iran end in uncertain ceasefire

A billboard praising US President Donald Trump by the Friends of Zion Museum is displayed in Tel Aviv on 26 June 2025. / © Photo by Jack GUEZ / AFP

The US joined Israel's strikes on Iran's nuclear sites, sparking a brief but intense conflict that ended in a fragile ceasefire brokered by President Trump, who claimed "total obliteration" of Iran's nuclear programme despite conflicting intelligence assessments.
Iran retaliated with missile attacks on Israel and a US base in Qatar but signalled a carefully calibrated response to avoid escalation, while publicly denying plans for fresh nuclear talks with Washington.
Israelis and Iranians returned cautiously to daily life under the truce, amid widespread skepticism over its durability and new tensions over Israel's war in Gaza and Iran's suspension of cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.

US strikes – After Israel launched a large-scale aerial campaign against Iran's nuclear facilities, the United States dramatically escalated the conflict by dropping massive bunker-busting bombs on three key sites, including the heavily fortified Fordo enrichment plant. President Donald Trump hailed the strikes as a historic success that he said destroyed Iran’s nuclear capacity for "decades", but leaked US intelligence reports and expert assessments quickly contradicted this narrative, indicating the damage may have set Iran back by only a few months.

Despite Trump's tough rhetoric and allusions to "regime change", he pivoted swiftly to broker a ceasefire after Iran's measured retaliation, positioning himself as both a strongman and peacemaker in an effort to hold together his divided political base at home.

Iran responds – In response to the US and Israeli attacks, Iran launched missiles at Israeli cities and struck the US' Al Udeid air base in Qatar – but crucially gave advance notice that allowed American forces to evacuate, resulting in no casualties and signalling an intention to de-escalate rather than expand the war. This proportional show of force was designed to satisfy domestic demands for revenge while leaving open an exit ramp to halt direct confrontation with Washington.

Even as Trump teased the resumption of nuclear negotiations and hinted at a new deal, Iran's leadership pushed back forcefully, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declaring there was no agreement to talk, while Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei boasted that the strikes did "nothing significant" and framed Iran's response as a "victory" over American aggression.

Uncertain ceasefire – After nearly two weeks of missile strikes, air raid sirens, and civilian casualties, daily life began to return to the streets of Tel Aviv and Tehran as the ceasefire took hold, with schools, markets, and airports reopening under a cloud of unease. Many residents in both countries expressed relief but doubted the calm would last, citing ongoing Israeli bombardments in Gaza and deep mistrust of their governments' promises to restrain future strikes.

Meanwhile, Iran's parliament voted to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency in protest over its silence during the attacks, raising fears that Tehran might now advance its nuclear programme more secretly. Despite leaders on both sides claiming historic victories, the region remains on edge, with unresolved questions about whether either side will respect the truce or simply regroup for the next round of confrontation.

5. NATO bows to Trump spending demands while Luxembourg eyes tech payoff

At the NATO summit in The Hague, President Trump secured a pledge from all 32 members to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, easing his doubts about the alliance's unity.
Ukraine's President Zelensky was sidelined during the summit but managed a cordial meeting with Trump, who offered only vague promises of additional air defence support.
Luxembourg backed the 5% goal but stressed spending flexibility, aiming to channel increased defence funding into domestic tech and innovation sectors to benefit the local economy.

Historic pledge – At the NATO summit in The Hague, US President Donald Trump, who has long criticised European allies for underfunding their defence, won a major victory as all 32 member states agreed to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. Although the figure is presented as a headline number, the compromise allows for 3.5% to go to core military needs and 1.5% to broader security-related areas like infrastructure and cybersecurity, giving cash-strapped countries some breathing room.

This carefully staged deal, combined with lavish praise and royal hospitality, appeared to transform Trump's combative attitude towards NATO into one of newfound affection, with the US leader describing the alliance's unity as "ironclad" – at least for now – and basking in what he called a "great victory for everybody".

Ukraine sidelined – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky found himself relegated to the sidelines at this summit, as planners sought to avoid a repeat of his past public clashes with Trump. Although excluded from the main working sessions and overshadowed by the focus on defence spending, Zelensky managed to secure a private meeting with Trump, which both sides described as cordial and constructive.

However, the outcome fell short of Kyiv's hopes: Trump only vaguely promised to look into providing Patriot air defence systems and made no commitment on new sanctions against Russia, while the final summit declaration carefully avoided endorsing Ukraine's NATO membership bid – a sign of Washington's shifting priorities under Trump's second term.

Luxembourg's ambitions – Amid the pressure to meet NATO's new spending target, Luxembourg's government, led by Prime Minister Luc Frieden and Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel, has been adamant that its defence contributions must remain "smart and adaptable". While backing the 5% goal in principle, Luxembourg insists that it will base the target on GNI rather than GDP, further asserting that spending should be tailored to the country's strengths in cybersecurity, satellites, and emerging tech rather than simply funnelling money into traditional military hardware.

Officials have outlined plans to ensure the billions earmarked for defence generate local economic benefits by supporting homegrown firms like LUX UAV, a drone manufacturer already supplying both Luxembourg's security services and Ukraine. By framing increased defence spending as an investment in innovation and domestic industry, Luxembourg aims to turn a financial burden into a driver of tech growth and economic resilience.

The best of... 📚

Business & Tech – A US judge on Wednesday handed Meta a victory over authors who accused the tech giant of violating copyright law by training Llama artificial intelligence on their creations without permission.
Science & Environment – Mexico's Congress on Thursday approved a ban on entertainment shows involving dolphins and other marine mammals, the lower house announced, delighting animal rights campaigners.
Entertainment – Magazine legend Anna Wintour stepped down as editor of US Vogue on Thursday after 37 years during which she was often hailed as the single most influential figure in the fashion world.
Sport – Luxembourg's Chris Rodesch has made national tennis history by qualifying for the main draw at Wimbledon for the first time in his career.

And in case you missed it... ⚠️

Petition debate– Ahead of the 2 July parliamentary debate on potential sanctions against Israel for war crimes in Gaza, petitioner Dalia Khader – supported by NGOs such as Amnesty International and Jewish Call for Peace, as well as actress Vicky Krieps – presented her demands at a press conference on Thursday.
Life in the capital – Luxembourg City has topped a global ranking of 69 cities for liveability, standing out for its rare mix of high incomes, free public transport and overall quality of life – a combination that outpaces even wealthier hubs like Zurich and Geneva.
Housing– Many of you responded to a poll from our colleagues at RTL Infos about adults still living with their parents in Luxembourg, and the message is clear: for most, staying home is not a choice, it is a necessity.
Healthcare – Facing criticism over lengthy delays, the LNS has reduced biopsy wait times by optimising workflows and digitising systems, with urgent cases now processed in three days.

Your Weekly Recap is published every Friday at noon. Read earlier versions.