On 11 June, the residents of Betzdorf will participate in the election of a new municipal council. However, the incumbent mayor, Jean-François Wirtz, will not be seeking re-election.
Wirtz has made this decision in order to refocus on his job.
Explaining his choice, the 48-year-old mayor, who is also an engineer at the post office, stated, “managing both the municipality and my job at the post office became quite challenging.”
Wirtz has led the municipality in the eastern region of Luxembourg for six years as a member of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP). From 2000 to 2012, when the first-past-the-post system still applied in Betzdorf, he was already a member of the municipal executive board (Schäfferot), but temporarily stepped down from his responsibilities when he became a father.
In 2017, he returned to the political arena and successfully formed a coalition with the Christian Social People’s Party (CSV).
Wirtz takes pride in the municipality’s achievement of constructing over 100 new flats, as well as the ongoing construction of a locally funded drop-in centre (maison-relais). Unfortunately, the project has experienced delays due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, which posed significant challenges for Wirtz.
Reflecting on the pandemic, Wirtz highlighted the ever-changing rules and guidelines that posed a daily challenge for managing various aspects of the municipality, such as schools and drop-in centres.
He recalled receiving frequent updates from the Ministry of Home Affairs, often resulting in different protocols regarding mask usage, office capacity, and remote work arrangements. Overcoming these obstacles required constant adaptation.
Looking ahead, Wirtz hopes for the municipality’s continuous development over the next six years, emphasising the importance of active participation in local politics to influence positive change.
Despite Betzdorf being a relatively small municipality in eastern Luxembourg, its reputation extends beyond national borders due to the presence of the satellite operator SES. However, Wirtz noted that the municipality’s previous close relationship with the international company has diminished in recent years.
Wirtz believes that this change can be attributed to the completion of SES’s infrastructure.
He reminisced about his earlier tenure on the municipal executive board, during which there was more frequent interaction and the mayor was invited whenever there were state visits. “Unfortunately,” those opportunities have become rare, and contact with SES “has been reduced to a minimum.”
Finally, it is worth mentioning that in 2011, Betzdorf became the first municipality in Luxembourg to establish a forest cemetery in Roodt-Syr. To this day, many individuals find their final resting place there. However, the privilege of burial in the cemetery is reserved for residents of the municipality.
