© Dany Rasqué / RTL
The Democratic Party (DP) launched its public meeting series in Ettelbrück on Wednesday, with Xavier Bettel and Eric Thill addressing residents on housing, defense, and social policies.
The Democratic Party (DP) stressed on Wednesday evening in Ettelbruck, at the start of its series of public meetings, that engaging with voters only two months before the elections is far from ideal.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel and Culture Minister Eric Thill spent over 90 minutes answering questions from residents and outlining their policies. Topics ranged from the N7 expansion and housing issues to defense spending, which Bettel emphasised must increase in response to evolving challenges.
Bettel highlighted the need for collective responsibility and solidarity:
"We have never questioned whether there is a threat or not. I cannot rule it out. And believe me, I am not negative. But we simply must do our part if we want to maintain solidarity. And for that, we also need to bring people together (...)."
He also underlined the importance of social dialogue as a pillar of Luxembourg’s strength, particularly regarding pension reform: "A solution is needed that everyone can identify with. One that gives people a genuine choice."
Another key topic was the tax reform. Culture Minister Eric Thill stressed the importance of prioritising the most vulnerable during the process: "In parallel with the tax reform, we will also increase and adjust child benefits, so that families and those who will benefit the most actually receive this increase. Why do I say this? Because our minister, Max Hahn, has already started implementing several measures in this direction. He will launch an action plan against poverty by the end of the year."
Thill noted that the plan has been widely discussed and will be formally presented next month.
Despite the serious topics, the atmosphere allowed for lighter moments. Thill reflected on his first two years as a minister: "It was challenging at first, but day by day it became more fun, even if the beginning felt like the first day of school. And even for those who have been in politics longer, there are situations that can still make you a little nervous."
Xavier Bettel also shared a humorous memory from early in his career, recalling his first trip abroad to Berlin:
"I remember, that was my first trip abroad. I flew to Berlin to meet Angela Merkel, and then you go to the Bundeskanzleramt (Chancellor's office), such a huge building, and there comes Mrs. Merkel and says, ‘Hi, I'm Angela’, and I said, ‘I know.’ I didn’t know what else to say. I just said, ‘I'm Xavier’."
Bettel, who flew to Berlin on Thursday for another informal meeting with Merkel, emphasised the importance of respecting differing opinions: "Even if you do not share them, you must respect others’ viewpoints." He also warned against importing conflicts into Luxembourg, mentioning that he had been verbally attacked two weeks ago at a restaurant over his Middle-Eastern policy.
