Laurent Mosar, who is a member of the municipal executive in Luxembourg City, stated that, above all else, the CSV is glad to see that the government has “awoken from its deep sleep” and decided to take action against the security issue around the capital’s railway station by announcing an increased police presence.
Mosar pointed out that the issues around the central railway station have been around “for years”, adding that the first major assembly on the matter took place eight years ago. On Monday, Minister of Internal Security Henri Kox announced that the number of police patrols in Luxembourg City is to be increased.
However, in the eyes of the local politician and CSV MP, numerous questions remain, for instance where the additional officers are supposed to come from. Mosar wonders whether this means that the officers who are already present have to take on additional missions, or whether the Minister intends to transfer officers from other departments around the country.
During the local council meeting on Monday, the capital’s municipal council rejected a motion by the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP), the Green Party (Déi Gréng), and the Left Party (Déi Lénk), which once again called on the municipal executive to terminate the contract with the controversial security company hired to patrol the Gare neighbourhood.
For now, the CSV’s Luxembourg City section wants to wait and see how the announced measures will affect the situation in everyday life, Mosar stated. Meanwhile, the capital’s municipal executive wants to ask residents of the Gare neighbourhood for their opinion.
Mosar stressed that the municipal executive will only assess the contract with the private security company after such an enquiry, adding that the municipal authorities will not allow themselves to be pressured.
Besides the police, this is also an issue of the judicial and migration authorities, the local politician said, reiterating his criticism that the current laws are “not complete”. As an example, Mosar cited the government’s refusal to introduce a “Platzverweis” (a prerogative right for the police to expel individuals from public places). However, Minister of Internal Security Henri Kox has hinted at a potential change of course on this point a few months ago.
While the CSV is eagerly awaiting the several measures announced by the Minister, Mosar criticised that they are already long overdue. The politician also slammed the government on its drug policy, stating that the majority parties deserved “an F” in that area.
Mosar declined to comment on the recent reports that the government has seemingly decided to backpedal on legalising cannabis in the Grand Duchy. Instead, he merely stated that the CSV was not particularly convinced of the project to begin with.
