Here are five things you should know at the end of this week:
Findel’s future discussed – Luxembourg Airport’s long-term strategy was debated in parliament this week, with special focus on its logistical capacity, environmental transition, and strategic role within Europe’s aviation network. The discussion, requested by The Greens, comes as Findel continues to post record numbers: 5.3 million passengers in 2025, with 5.7 million expected this year and a long-term target of 10 million by 2050.
While relocation was not formally on the agenda, questions resurfaced about whether the current site can sustain long-term growth. The Greens argued that Luxembourg should focus on “quality, not quantity”, building on its strengths in connectivity, cargo, and flexibility rather than competing directly with major European hubs.
Large-scale upgrade announced – At the same time, the government confirmed a sweeping €1 billion upgrade over the next six years. Plans include expanding and modernising the passenger terminal, refurbishing aircraft stands and taxiways, automating and enlarging the cargo centre, constructing a new fuel depot, and potentially developing a new VIP terminal by 2029.
Mobility Minister Yuriko Backes stated clearly that the Findel site will reach its physical limits by 2060, meaning that any growth beyond that point would require a new airport. A detailed master plan is expected in April, with broad political support emerging for investment in the current site, all while acknowledging the need to balance economic ambition with sustainability and long-term planning.
Operational resilience? – Recent flight diversions and technical incidents have also put Findel’s operational resilience in the spotlight. Several Luxair flights were diverted due to fog, while another aircraft made an unscheduled landing following a cracked cockpit windscreen – incidents that quickly gained traction on social media.
While the Luxembourg Airline Pilots’ Association stressed that such events remain rare and do not signal declining safety standards, the cluster of disruptions has nonetheless fuelled public debate about the airport’s logistical capacity during peak periods and adverse weather.
Housing crisis hits refugees – The case of Blessing Sajowa, a single mother of four, has reignited debate over Luxembourg’s refugee accommodation policy and wider housing crisis. After nine years in the country, Sajowa – who now holds a residence permit through permanent employment – has been told she must leave her accommodation provided by the National Reception Office (ONA).
Under current rules, recognised refugees must leave accommodation provided by ONA after a 12-month grace period, while rejected applicants must depart within five days. Last year, 559 beneficiaries of international protection received letters informing them their stay had ended.
While only eight cases resulted in court-ordered evictions, none involving families with minor children, the policy has reignited debate over Luxembourg’s severe housing shortage and whether the state is doing enough to prevent vulnerable families from falling through the cracks.
Structural reform needed – Sajowa’s employer, Marianne Donven, founder of the social restaurant Chiche! and president of the refugee support association Open Home, argues the situation reflects deeper failures in housing policy rather than individual shortcomings. She says dozens, potentially nearly 200, recognised refugees may soon face similar deadlines.
According to Donven, losing ONA accommodation can also mean losing an official address, with knock-on consequences for employment contracts and social security coverage. She has called for stronger tenant protections, rent controls, and a significant expansion of public and municipal housing, arguing that the private market alone cannot resolve the crisis.
Minister defends limit – Family Minister Max Hahn has rejected accusations that the policy is too rigid, stressing that ONA centres are designed as temporary accommodation and that Luxembourg continues to receive new arrivals in need of shelter. He says refugees are informed from the outset that their stay is limited and receive support in searching for housing.
While acknowledging the high cost of living, Hahn insists this affects nationals and foreign residents alike. He emphasises integration through language learning and employment as key to long-term stability, maintaining that flexibility cannot be indefinite and that the system must balance support for established residents with capacity for new arrivals.
High usage, low well-being – According to the latest Bee Secure report, 59% of young people aged 17–30 believe social media has a negative impact on their mental well-being. Yet usage remains strikingly high: around one third report spending four hours or more per day on social platforms, while only 11% spend less than an hour daily.
Exposure to harmful content is widespread. Around four in five respondents say they are at least occasionally confronted with hate speech targeting women, LGBTQIA+ people, or based on origin and religion. Roughly half also report seeing hate directed at people with disabilities. Social media platforms are identified as the primary space where such content appears.
Friends with AI? – The report also shows how deeply artificial intelligence tools have entered young people’s daily routines. A striking 84% of respondents say they use AI chatbots at least occasionally, and nearly one in five uses them daily for an hour or more.
For some, AI plays an emotional role. Around 20% say chatbots help them feel less alone, 17% describe AI as a kind of “friend”, and 5% believe it can replace time spent with other people, though 76% still say they prefer real-life company. Notably, 22% report discussing topics with AI that they would not share with anyone else.
Nonetheless, concerns do exist: One third of respondents believe AI negatively affects their critical and autonomous thinking, while 45% use chatbots at least sometimes for personal advice.
Bans gain momentum – Bee Secure’s findings come amid a broader international debate over restricting young people’s access to social media. Australia introduced a ban for under-16s in December 2025, and Spain has now announced plans to follow suit, citing concerns over exposure to pornography, violence, manipulation, and addictive platform design. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has also proposed holding tech executives legally accountable for failures to remove harmful or illegal content.
In Luxembourg, Justice Minister Elisabeth Margue has indicated that the government is prepared to introduce a national age-based restriction if no EU-wide solution emerges within six to twelve months. While she has stressed a preference for coordinated European action – particularly around privacy-compliant age verification – she argues that governments cannot remain passive in the face of mounting mental health concerns and online risks.
Vast network exposed – The latest release of Epstein documents, some 3.5 million files, offers the most comprehensive look yet at Jeffrey Epstein’s operations and contacts. The material includes emails, internal correspondence, flight logs, financial transactions, photographs, visitor records, and video material, spanning years of Epstein’s dealings with political, corporate, and social elites. Importantly, they also include sexually explicit or deeply disturbing material linked to his trafficking operation of young women and girls.
Being named in the files does not automatically imply wrongdoing, but the sheer volume of documentation has exposed how deeply embedded Epstein was within global power circles – even after his 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor. With another estimated 2.5 million files unreleased, the scandal is developing from isolated associations to bigger questions over institutional integrity and public trust in political culture.
Elites under pressure – The political fallout has been making headlines in recent weeks. In the UK, PM Keir Starmer is facing calls to resign after appointing Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington despite known ties to Epstein. King Charles III has voiced concern as former Prince Andrew is also facing renewed investigations.
In Norway, the files have shaken public trust in one of Europe’s least-corrupt societies. Former PM Thorbjørn Jagland is under investigation for aggravated corruption, police have searched his properties, and Crown Princess Mette-Marit has apologised for her past friendship with Epstein. High-profile diplomats and international figures connected to the Nobel Committee and the World Economic Forum are also facing scrutiny.
In the US, former President Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Bill Gates, and other corporate heavyweights are mentioned in the files. Congressional pressure is mounting and political tensions are rising as lawmakers review unredacted material.
Invoking the Fifth – Epstein’s long-time associate Ghislaine Maxwell, currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking, has refused to answer questions from US lawmakers. During a House Oversight Committee deposition, Maxwell repeatedly invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Her lawyer has stated she would be willing to testify publicly if granted clemency by President Donald Trump.
Maxwell remains the only person convicted in connection with Epstein’s trafficking network. The Justice Department has indicated that no new prosecutions are expected at this stage.
‘New world disorder’ – UN climate chief Simon Stiell delivered a stark warning this week, saying the world is facing an “unprecedented threat” to international cooperation as geopolitical tensions and pro-fossil fuel agendas undermine climate progress. Speaking ahead of COP31, he described a period of instability and insecurity where “the very concept of international cooperation is under attack”.
Regression ‘unacceptable’ – Stiell urged governments to accelerate the transition away from coal, oil, and gas to deliver on previous commitments to triple renewable energy capacity. He stressed that clean energy investment is already outpacing fossil fuels globally, and called on “coalitions of the willing” to push ahead even if some major players retreat from ambitious climate action.
US climate framework under attack – At the same time, US President Donald Trump revoked the 2009 “endangerment finding”, the scientific determination that greenhouse gases endanger public health and which underpins federal climate regulations. The move eliminates vehicle emissions standards and jeopardises broader rules on power plants and methane leaks, marking the most important rollback of US climate policy to date and raising the prospect of major legal battles.
Your Weekly Recap is published every Friday at noon. Read earlier versions here.
