“My goal is to improve how we do things next year.” This was Luc Frieden’s key statement in the traditional New Year’s interview with Caroline Mart. The Prime Minister also emphasised that he would continue to back the measures that his government introduced in 2025. Other topics included the internal goings-on in the CSV, as well as the relationship with their coalition partners, the DP.
Politically, 2025 was a year stuffed with important issues: the social dialogue with the country’s trade unions, government reshuffles, pension reforms, and one of the biggest protests the country has ever seen. Frieden himself admitted he should have, in hindsight, not included the details of the initial plans for pension reforms in his State of the Nation address:
Luc Frieden: “I want a country where people stick together, not one where they are shouting in the streets. So what I would do differently is this, I should not have brought up the exact details of our visions for the pension reform in the State of the Nation speech.”
This inclusion triggered consequences that Frieden was not immediately aware of:
Caroline Mart: “You couldn’t have given the unions a bigger gift. Before this, they were worried they couldn’t mobilise enough people for protests. So this sentence in particular was the best advertisement for their demonstration. Did you realise this at the time?”
Luc Frieden: “No.”
But even though it had not been an easy year, Frieden declared himself satisfied with his government’s work:
Luc Frieden: “For the past twenty minutes we’ve been speaking as though everything went wrong. But I want to say this was a great year in which a lot was set in motion. And I, like my colleagues in government, are not dissatisfied with that which we achieved. I’ve had many people say thank you to me in person for improving purchasing power. And people struggling with poverty say they are pleased with the increase in financial aid.”
But the latest Politmonitor survey tells a different story. Frieden was ranked 12th out of all Luxembourg’s politicians, marking the very first time a Prime Minister has not been ranked in the top 10. Frieden says his goal is to handle things better.
Luc Frieden: “It is not my goal to be behind. I want to be ahead. Earlier I said, my goal is to do things better. But I also think that the most difficult issues are now behind us.”
The CSV’s coalition partners, the DP, achieved significantly better results in the public polls, despite the fact they are also responsible for solving issues such as Sunday work or opening hours.
Caroline Mart: “It’s not just the CSV though, there is also a Minister of the Economy who is just as responsible. And one gets the impression that Lex Delles has succeeded in withdrawing himself from the controversy. Does he have a better reputation?”
Luc Frieden: “Maybe.”
According to the Prime Minister, the trickiest issues have now been handled. Now he wants to look ahead to the future, emphasising his desire for the Grand Duchy to play a leading role in sectors such as technological innovations and artificial intelligence on the international stage.
Luc Frieden: “The super machines being created, or that have been invented, are being improved through AI: I believe in progress through technology, without being naive and without seeing any negative effects in time, but I see the positive along with the negative, and I really want our country to stand at the forefront of innovation.”
In the 90-minute interview, Frieden also responded to a number of images and posts on social media, and looked back at the celebrations surrounding Grand Duke Guillaume’s accession to the throne in October.
