Opposition leaders in Esch-sur-Alzette have sharply criticised alderman Pim Knaff of the Democratic Party (DP) following his denial of reports that he will resign at the end of the year. “Pim Knaff is once again dragging Esch into a bad light – it’s always about him”, said Steve Faltz, faction leader of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP) on the Esch municipal council, reacting to Knaff’s statement to RTL that he has no intention of stepping down in 2025.
Faltz acknowledged that the rumours had “raised hopes among us”, but that Knaff’s later denial had “nipped them in the bud”.
Marc Baum of The Left (Déi Lénk) echoed the criticism, calling the situation within the Esch DP “completely deadlocked”. He accused Knaff of inconsistency and urged a definitive end to the long-running controversy. “We asked him to step down voluntarily nine months ago. That would have been the cleanest outcome, for Esch but also for himself”, said Baum.
The backlash comes after Tageblatt reported on Thursday evening that Knaff would resign by year’s end – a claim he has since denied in writing. Instead, he stated that fellow DP member Daliah Scholl will take over his role during the current legislative term, though no specific timeline has been confirmed.
Knaff, who has been under pressure since his conviction for serious tax fraud, remains the top-elected DP figure in Esch. Scholl confirmed to RTL that she is to assume his role, but the exact timeline is still undecided. She emphasised that any move must respect the voter mandate and ultimately be Knaff’s decision.
