Esch-sur-Alzette mayor, the CSV’s Georges Mischo, said the party wanted to continue all they had started in the last five and a half years. Three-quarters of the coalition’s programme, representing around 120 projects, has already been implemented since 2017.
There are still difficulties with reviving the commerce sector, as is the case everywhere, said Mischo. However, the city has seen an economic upswing through projects such as CLAIRE and pop-up stores. The council also plans to buy up empty premises in order to rent them out at a social rent. The city also hopes to reshape Rue de l’Alette in order to offer a more modern street to retailers.
In Esch, as the country’s second largest city, the safety of the citizens is always an issue. “Safety is one of the most important subjects, because people should feel comfortable”, emphasized Mischo. The CSV will continue to advocate for proportionate camera surveillance, with an impact study already underway, and also supports the notion of municipal police. In terms of traffic safety, the party wants to implement the ideas already in place. Once the Micheville link road is complete, Boulevard Kennedy is expected to be converted into a shared space.
In terms of education, the party is still working to make up for delays and missed opportunities. Alderman Christian Weis said they wished to avoid the concept of full-day schools, as these could not become a reality without the corresponding law from the Ministry of Education at national level. For this reason, the CSV would prefer to rely on common educational concepts, he continued. Wraparound care (Maison Relais) and schools should be planned simultaneously to provide a form of full-day childcare.
The CSV also plans to establish places for information and gatherings in the city’s districts, aimed at the elderly and the young, according to alderman André Zwally. The centres would offer activities to older foreign citizens to help them continue to integrate into society.
Mischo emphasised the party was working on new ideas and realistic concepts for citizens. He took the opportunity to criticise the promises made by the LSAP in Esch, whose proposals to create 1,500 social housing units by 2035 were “unrealistic”, financially and in terms of time. He said he believed Steve Faltz, the LSAP’s candidate for Esch, lacked the necessary political experience to govern.
The municipality suffered some financial setbacks due to the Covid crisis, which meant it was no longer feasible to advance certain projects as quickly as intended, Mischo continued. He said a distinction must be made between the 2017 election plans and the coalition agreement. Projects such as a proposed cultural centre were not implemented in this time, but perhaps now would be the right time to tackle them, he concluded.
