Erpeldange residents will decide the future of proposed merger talks with three neighbouring communes through a November referendum, following a divided municipal council vote that required the mayor's tiebreaking authority.

The Erpeldange municipal council decided on Wednesday evening to let residents determine whether the commune should continue merger talks with neighbouring Diekirch, Ettelbruck, and Schieren. A referendum will be held on 23 November, preceded by public information sessions.

The council approved the public vote by an 8-1 margin, following an earlier deadlocked decision on continuing negotiations. In that 4-4 vote (with one abstention), Mayor Claude Gleis broke the tie using his double-voting authority – a procedural measure invoked after an identical stalemate occurred two weeks prior.

The outcome permits working groups to continue developing concrete proposals for the proposed "Nordstad" merger. Should Erpeldange residents approve continued talks in November, a second referendum would be held across all four communes in 2027.

The exact wording of the question that will be asked during the referendum on 23 November is as follows (translated from Luxembourgish):

Do you support the Erpeldange Council's decision to continue exploratory talks regarding a potential merger with the municipalities of Diekirch, Ettelbruck, and Schieren?