ASTI mainly takes issue with two points: language and equality.
In particular, the association criticises the phrasing “The language of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is Luxembourgish”, stating that it does not reflect the actual situation in Luxembourg.
The constitution is meant to hold up over a long period of time. However, according to Sérgio Ferreira from ASTI, such a restrictive wording could “lead to problems” in an immigration country such as Luxembourg.
Ferreira warns that if a far-right government were to take over, or if there were strong nationalist movements in the country, this could have “practical consequences”. Specifically, ASTI fears that the wording could be interpreted to the detriment of non-Luxembourgish residents.
ASTI President Laura Zuccoli sees a similar problem when it comes to how the constitution defines equality. Instead of “all Luxembourgers are equal before the law”, the constitution should state that “everyone is equal before the law”, according to Zuccoli.
The ASTI President argues that, after all, it would still be possible to define the different rights of those who carry a Luxembourgish passport and those who do not. But in principle, Zuccoli stresses, everyone should be equal before the law.
On the other hand, the association welcomes that the right of asylum is to be enshrined in the new constitution.
During the press conference on Tuesday, the ASTI representatives also talked about the difficult situation of people living in Luxembourg without a visa. Their situation has “dramatically deteriorated” due to the pandemic, seeing as they do not have access to social security and are often afraid to contact the authorities. Around 500 people benefitted from food vouchers distributed by ASTI. About one third of them are minors.
