Important debates aheadNew Year's toast from Luxembourg's parliament keeps focus on renewal and modernisation

Claudia Kollwelter
Jeannot Ries
adapted for RTL Today
Against a backdrop of political uncertainty at home and abroad, Luxembourg’s Parliament has used its traditional New Year’s reception to reflect on recent work and outline the discussions and reforms expected to dominate the coming year.

“We accomplished a lot in 2025 in the Chamber, but there are still many important discussions to be had this year,” stated Claude Wiseler, President of the Chamber, during the traditional New Year’s toast hosted by the Luxembourgish Parliament.

This year, the reception took place at Cercle Cité rather than the usual Krautmaart. The change in venue was due to the invitations being extended to European parliamentarians, ambassadors, and EU civil servants for the first time, making the Chamber’s usual space insufficient to accommodate all guests.

‘2025, a year of rapid changes’

Laurent Scheeck, Secretary General of the Parliament, highlighted in his speech that 2025 was a year in which the Chamber did not remain on the sidelines, but actively undertook many new initiatives. Laurent Scheeck also expressed his desire for greater predictability, for example, by finalising the plenary session agenda further in advance. He expects 2026 to follow a similar path.

Moreover, Scheeck underlined that the Chamber’s international engagements had expanded over the past year, a crucial development given the unstable times we are currently experiencing. In particular, he pointed to the four official visits made to Ukraine.

New changes in 2026

Chamber President Claude Wiseler highlighted in his speech that 2026 will bring important debates for the Chamber. Among the topics on the agenda are speaking times in the Chamber, which have already been revised but still require further adjustments. The introduction of auditing of faction finances by the Court of Auditors represents another upcoming change, according to Wiseler.

Additionally, the statute of MPs, rules on the accumulation of mandates, and the voting law will need to be updated to reflect current realities. The Chamber building itself will also undergo renovation in 2026, with new security measures to be implemented and the plenary room’s information technology to be upgraded.

‘A more modern Chamber’

The President of the Chamber stresses that the institution needs to be modernised as part of a broader framework. Democracy is increasingly being challenged, and citizens’ trust in politics and the media is under pressure. People are becoming more impatient, yet still expect quick answers and solutions. The planned changes and renovation projects aim to simplify MPs’ work, making it more efficient, transparent, and better adapted to the demands of today.

Watch the video report in Luxembourgish

Chamber setzt weider op Erneierung a Moderniséierung
E Méindeg hat d’Chamber op hiren Neijoerschpatt invitéiert.

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