Minister for Home Affairs Léon Gloden outlined his positions on internal security during an interview with our colleagues from RTL Radio on Saturday, defending his controversial law and order approach.
The interview covered a range of topics, including the arrival of Romanian police officers who will reinforce Luxembourg’s forces from 1 May, the planned expansion of expulsion orders (‘Platzverweis’), and the implementation of the ‘silence implies consent’ principle in building-planning administration.
According to Gloden, the CSV-DP coalition was elected to implement a different policy, with security playing a key role in that mandate. A central focus for the minister is the fight against what he terms “organised begging.” To address this, the government aims to tighten expulsion orders –≠ giving police the power to remove individuals from certain areas – though it has yet to receive approval from the Council of State.
Gloden expressed frustration with the debate surrounding the proposal, noting that critics raise concerns regardless of which authority is granted the power. “If we give it to police officers, people warn that it gives them too much leeway. If we give it to mayors instead, the criticism is that there is a risk of abuse,” he said, adding, “We always see the abuses first, before we even talk about the principle – and that annoys me a bit.”
The government has submitted an amended version of the draft bill. When asked what would happen if the Council of State also raised objections to this new version, Gloden responded that procedures are in place for such a scenario.
The minister emphasised that organised begging is linked to human trafficking, citing the latest report from the Consultative Human Rights Commission (CCDH), which confirms this connection. The report also identified Romania as one of the countries of origin for individuals involved. Against this backdrop, Gloden signed an agreement with his Romanian counterpart last week. From 1 May, for an initial period of six months, joint patrols will be organised, with approximately half a dozen Romanian police officers deployed to Luxembourg.
“It’s about language, it’s about these people gaining trust in someone who understands their language, who can speak to them directly, who also has the same cultural background,” Gloden explained.
Beyond the patrols, Romanian and Luxembourgish officers will also collaborate on information exchange concerning cybercrime and other forms of organised crime.
On Saturday morning, an emergency meeting was held at the Northern Wastewater Syndicate (SIDEN), following the discovery that an employee is suspected of embezzling approximately €73,000. Gloden noted that he had submitted a bill to the Government Council the previous day aimed at professionalising such syndicates. However, he pushed back against the notion that problems within syndicates are frequent.
“Generally, I want to say that in the syndicates and in the municipalities – we have 100 municipalities – things work very well,” the minister said, adding that “the politicians, as well as the people who work there, really give their all for the citizens with heart and soul.”
Gloden stressed that municipalities function as service providers and that local elected officials must be relieved of administrative burdens to focus on their political duties. To this end, he announced plans to strengthen municipal structures, for example by enabling municipalities to establish their own personnel and finance services, either individually or in collaboration with others.
On the housing front, Gloden expressed hope that the ‘silence implies consent’ principle could be implemented within the current legislative period. The measure is designed to expedite procedures and accelerate construction. Under the proposed system, individuals who submit a complete building permit application and receive no response within three or four months would be allowed to begin construction. However, Gloden acknowledged that ensuring that residents still comply with the General Development Plan (PAG) and building regulations remains “a challenge.”
“And we have to get the municipalities on board with this, and I say very clearly, mistakes will be made at the beginning, but we have to push this through, we have to push this through, because otherwise – the procedures are simply too cumbersome,” Gloden said.
In addition, the minister indicated that not every minor project would require formal approval in the future. “Not every garden shed will need a building permit,” he added.
Gloden also announced his intention to present a bill before the summer recess aimed at simplifying procedures related to the PAG and the Special Development Plan (PAP).
