Marc Lies may no longer be mayor of Hesperange or a member of the municipal council, having left office in the middle of last year, but his shadow continues to hang over the council chamber. A complaint is currently being filed against four opposition councillors, and there is a strong suspicion among those targeted that the former mayor is behind it.
The complaint is directed at Marie-Lyne Keller and Stephen De Ron of the Greens, and Rita Lunghi and Mathis Godefroid of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP). The origins of the dispute date back to July 2024, when the daughter of Marc Lies’ partner was put forward for a position as coordinator of the Pacte communal du vivre-ensemble interculturel.
The opposition took issue with the nomination after it emerged that the candidate could not provide the required diplomas, and sent a letter to the Home Affairs Ministry raising their concerns. Home Affairs Minister Léon Gloden agreed with their assessment and the nomination was subsequently cancelled.
Lies was incensed that the woman’s name had entered the public domain, arguing that the discussion had taken place behind closed doors.
Stephen De Ron rejected the accusation firmly. The opposition had done nothing more than write to Minister Gloden, and if referring to a specific person by name in that letter was necessary to make their concerns understood, then that was entirely legitimate. “We did not pass anything on to the press”, he stressed. “We addressed a letter to the minister. That is all we did, and we did justice to our role as the opposition.” The LSAP made the same point.
Despite Lies’ denial of involvement, the opposition remains unconvinced. Mathis Godefroid of the LSAP noted that Lies has reportedly been telling people in local cafes that he had filed a complaint against them, before the four councillors themselves had even been formally notified. “Other people knew about it before we did”, Godefroid said. “That tells me this is clearly a matter of personal interest to him.”
Another clue pointing towards Lies’ involvement is the selection of the lawyer representing the woman, as he is a member of the CSV and known to be a good friend of Lies.
Lies protested his innocence, saying:
“I have not filed a complaint, clearly. The others said it is legitimate for someone to file a complaint if they have suffered damages. That person has effectively done so via engaging a lawyer. I have nothing else to say on the matter.”
But De Ron said the choice of the lawyer was problematic, regardless of the links to Lies.
“I don’t know the numbers by heart but somewhere between 90 and 93% of Mr Pierret’s legal fees were covered by the municipality the year the complaint was filed. I think he was practically the municipality’s lawyer.”
It could therefore be described as a conflict of interest, working for the municipality on one hand and filing a complaint against part of the communal administration on the other.
At the end of February, the opposition politicians spoke to police, but nothing has proceeded since. If the case is closed without consequences then all appear ready to let the issue lie and move forward. Godfroid however said he would leave himself the option to take legal action, in terms of Lies’ social media posts which were said to be defamatory in nature.
The Greens and the LSAP emphasised that new mayor Diane Adehm had nothing to do with the complaint in their opinion. Her appointment has led to a positive and constructive atmosphere in the council, they added.
