Dozens of representatives from municipalities attended the 2026 New Year’s reception of the Association of Luxembourg Cities and Municipalities (SYVICOL) at the restaurant Schéiss in Belair, where they joined SYVICOL president Emile Eicher and ministers Léon Gloden and Serge Wilmes to toast the start of the new year. In his address, Eicher looked back on the past year’s work, offering strong praise for the entire team.
Drafting opinions on legislative and regulatory proposals affecting municipalities is one of SYVICOL’s core responsibilities. Eicher highlighted several issues that required particularly extensive work. In 2025, SYVICOL issued 60 formal opinions, the highest number in its history.
He referred in particular to the reform of building permits, which, according to Eicher, has already prompted lengthy discussions and is expected to remain on the agenda once the Council of State delivers its opinion.
That opinion is also eagerly awaited by Minister of Home Affairs Léon Gloden. He said that given how long the process has taken, he intends to move immediately to the second phase of the “silence means consent” procedure once the opinion is received.
According to Gloden, this reform is a key element for municipalities and is explicitly set out in the coalition agreement. He added that commitments made in this context will be followed through.
Eicher also mentioned SYVICOL’s opinion on affordable housing, noting that many of the association’s proposals were ultimately retained, meaning greater satisfaction for those involved. In the cultural field, he pointed to legislation on support for public libraries as another important issue.
He further explained that SYVICOL is increasingly being consulted at an earlier stage in the legislative process, representing work that often goes largely unnoticed by the wider public. At the same time, Eicher said that opportunities for professional development for local elected officials are set to expand.
Alongside the existing training cycle for newly elected representatives, a broader programme of continuous training is being developed. For the first half of this year, 22 individual training modules are planned, with around half focusing on human resources management and leadership.
Further details are available on gemengeplattform.lu.
Municipal staff play a crucial role at local level. Gloden noted that the responsibilities of municipalities continue to grow more complex.
As a result, municipal secretariats will need to be strengthened, Gloden said. He added that in the future, municipal secretaries are expected to hold a university degree and dedicated human resources services will be required. He also described the role of the municipal treasurer as outdated, particularly given that treasurers can still be held personally liable for any cash discrepancies.
SYVICOL will also mark its 40th anniversary at the end of November, potentially in new premises. Its current offices on Rue Guido Oppenheim have become too small.
In cooperation with Luxembourg City, a new building has been identified and now needs to be adapted. Once completed, it would also allow training sessions to be held on site in smaller groups.
