She would still like to see citizens aged 16 and up being given the right to vote, as well as giving the right to vote to foreign-residents in Luxembourg, who she says are ‘not represented’ in our democracy.
The young Green politician and vice-President of the Chamber of Deputies would also like to limit the length of time one could stay in government.
All 3 of these questions were rejected in 2015. In fact, then, 80% of the population had rejected the idea of lowering the voting age to 16, followed by a 78% vote against giving foreign-residents (who met specific requirements: 10 years of residency and previous participation in European or Local elections) the right to vote and a nearly 70% rejection of the 10-year limit for continuous presence in Government.
Djuna Bernard was speaking to RTL Today’s Christos Floros, as a guest on his new show, Conversations with Christos, where he invites public figures in Luxembourg to discuss their life and work.
She was presented with the fact that only 1 to 4% of young foreign-residents in Luxembourg participated in the last local elections in 2017 and asked if the recent campaign to get foreign-residents to vote is part of a larger push to get as many, especially young, people to register and vote for the Greens.
The Green Party recently launched several websites in different languages encouraging people to vote.
Bernard said she is hoping for a ‘Green Wave’ this super election year (2 elections), but that what is really important is that people register to vote and participate.
The Green politician admitted that she sees the 2 upcoming elections as very much interlinked, and that the Green party is hoping to build momentum with a strong result, a Green wave, in the local elections.
‘One should look at cities like Differdange to see what green politics can do to a city,’ said the Green Party’s co-President.
Social Justice, Housing, Biodiversity and Growth were the themes she said will be on the spotlight in this year’s elections.
She praised both the work of her Green colleague Henri Kox, and the work of LSAP Minister Franz Fayot in preparing a vision for transitioning the economy of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
The Green politician urged ‘to take action now’, calling for change in our politics and in our habits to ensure we can continue to enjoy our world and planet.
Watch the FULL interview with Djuna Bernard on Conversations with Christos on RTL PLAY.
