2025 was a bit of a fever dream. Donald Trump was inaugurated for a second term as president of the United States, headlining the news almost every morning. Wars continued, protests rolled on, and AI somehow became even bigger.
And yet, closer to home, 2025 also marked one of Luxembourg’s biggest moments, with Grand Duke Henri’s historic accession to the throne. It was also, finally, the year of the tram: former transport minister François Bausch’s long-promised milestone arrived a year later than predicted, with the line reaching Findel, while work began on the next stretch on the other side of Kirchberg.
But what happened in between these big moments in our Grand Duchy? What really spoke to our readers, what caught their attention, and which headlines mattered most? Follow along as we dissect the year in news, month by month, unconsciously selected by you and your reading habits.
Here’s to 2025!
After the cushy days of the festive season, January did not ease us in gently. The public was urged to avoid hitchhikers as a manhunt got underway in Luxembourg City, after a suspect fled police following a collision that left two officers injured. Some people even received an LU-Alert, a rare interruption to the January lull.
Beyond the breaking news, housing once again remained front and centre. We told the story of Jacqueline, 92, who was forced to leave the flat she had called home for nearly 50 years. On a waiting list for a care home, she said she was effectively waiting “for people to die” to secure a place. Her neighbour Tekla faced the same reality, with an even tighter deadline to move out.
And, as always, readers were also looking for answers. Updates to welfare benefits and government support available from 1 January proved among the most-read, as people tried to work out on what help they could actually count.
February was a mixed bag. Housing remained “a disaster”, as Luxembourg City residents voiced growing frustration while affordability hit a breaking point, echoing the experiences of Jacqueline and Tekla. Soaring rents, short notice periods for lease terminations, and a perceived lack of legal protection continued to fuel concern and anger.
Over in Cloche d’Or, a routine supermarket run turned into something else entirely, as a brawl between young people prompted a heavy police response. Unable to assess the scale of the fight on arrival, officers despatched an impressive ten police cars and even more personnel to defuse the situation.
February also delivered one of the year’s most eye-catching press conferences, as Home Affairs Minister Leon Gloden presented Luxembourg’s biggest-ever cocaine bust. Nearly 900kg of cocaine were discovered in a small town in northern Luxembourg, with an estimated market value of between €80m and €160m. Hidden inside a road crusher, of all places.
And in more somber news, a worker lost their life in a fatal accident at the Findel cargo centre at Luxembourg Airport.
This month was all about the next wage indexation, set to land on 1 May. After first reporting that a new index was “very likely”, we were later able to confirm: a 2.5% pay rise would indeed take effect in May.
Elsewhere, Politico, a US-founded political journalism outlet, reported that the US embassy in Luxembourg was among ten diplomatic missions proposed for permanent closure as part of a major cost-cutting plan. The proposal aimed to slash the US State Department’s budget by nearly 50%. As it turned out, the plan never materialised, with US ambassador Stacey Feinberg eventually taking up her post in Luxembourg in October.
Last but not least, an opinion piece by our editor William Knox broke into the top three most-read articles of the month, asking whether free public transport is costing us more than we think and whether its convenience may come at a price for our health and quality of life.
Once again, rising housing prices topped this month’s most-read articles. Prices for both houses and apartments increased in the fourth quarter of 2024, marking the first rise since 2022. A genuinely newsworthy number one.
Education was another strong contender. We reported that the government is planning three new public European schools as pupil numbers continue to climb. The schools are expected to be built in high-demand areas such as Esch-sur-Alzette, Dudelange, and Luxembourg City.
More shocking news followed later in the month, when a pedestrian was hit by a car at Hamilius. Preliminary findings revealed that it was a child that had been struck by a police vehicle after crossing the street on a red light. Police were found not to have committed a clear traffic violation, and the child was taken to hospital with no serious injuries reported.
And finally, on a much lighter note, readers were clearly pleased when fast food chain KFC announced plans to open new restaurants in Capellen and Luxembourg City.
At the beginning of the month, police received a report of an armed man inside a bank in Kirchberg, leading to the evacuation of the premises as well as street closures. Special units were despatched and, once the man was arrested, it turned out the suspect was carrying a replica weapon. Still, that does not make it any less scary.
On a very different note, our very own podcast Mom Life in Luxembourg topped this month’s charts with an episode on giftedness, autism, and ADHD. The topic really seemed to strike a nerve, with the article staying on our most-read list for a long time.
Moving over to transport, readers were interested to learn that Luxembourg’s free public transport costs have nearly doubled since 2020, when it was first introduced. As the system grew, government spending jumped from €590m to €905m in just five years.
And at Findel Airport, a Boeing 737-8K5 carrying 183 passengers had to make an emergency landing after smoke was reported on board. No injuries were reported.
In June, we went all in with a pay cheque comparison, allowing readers to see where their salary ranked and finally answer the long-standing question of how many people earn more or less than they do. We sincerely do hope it left you with a good feeling.
June is, of course, also the month of our beloved National Day on 23 June, and our go-to guide on transport, traffic, parking, and what to expect and avoid proved particularly popular. It was also Grand Duke Henri’s last National Day as reigning monarch.
Beyond that, housing once again made the list, alongside strong interest in property loans and interest rates. And, inevitably, Findel Airport featured too, with its runway closure causing diversions at best and cancellations at worst.
The Mom Life in Luxembourg podcast also remained a reader (or should I say listener) favourite, with an episode on summer parks and staycations landing just as summer felt closer than ever.
With summer being imminent, Mom Life in Luxembourg’s episode on summer parks stayed in the top five most-read articles that month. Fittingly, a heatwave hit Luxembourg, leading to suspended classes in some schools. Many students wrote to RTL saying it felt unfair to sit in stuffy classrooms while others were sent home.
Salary expectations, combined with housing and buying, also made it to the top. We broke down the real cost of buying property in Luxembourg, an article that almost could not not be a most-read with our readers.
Other than that, there was strong interest in who Luxembourg’s largest employers were in 2025, with CFL, Dussmann, and Post taking the top three spots. Post also made headlines after a cyberattack disrupted parts of its network, with reports of difficulties reaching the emergency number 112 within the Post network.
Next to the summer parks, which still made it to the very top of the list after three months, we saw a new Mom Life in Luxembourg episode climb the ranks. This time, host Hayley Allam was joined by her sons, talking openly about what it is like to grow up in Luxembourg.
The fate of Partigiano after a robbery in the Gare district also struck a nerve. After his Italian restaurant was burgled, the restaurateur called for a zero-tolerance policy on crime. As in previous years, the Gare area remained a key topic in 2025, with residents once again asking politicians to make the neighbourhood safer.
Another opinion piece made the top list, this time by yours truly. It followed the killing of a 17-year-old girl in Amsterdam, who was on the phone with police calling for help when she was murdered. The op-ed questioned how you can call 112 and still be killed on your way home, and why telling women to scream for help is not enough when pepper spray remains illegal.
To end the month, we reported on parents who left their 10-year-old son alone at Barcelona–El Prat Airport so they could catch their flight home with another child. The boy was left behind due to an expired passport, with the parents saying a relative was supposed to pick him up.
Our most-read article this month was also the saddest story of the year. A frontal collision between Heiderscheid and Feulen left five people dead. In other police news, a man was injured in a shooting on Avenue Monterey, suffering gunshot wounds to the back. Police said two people were approached by a group of four, before one of the two began shooting towards the group.
That same month, Luxembourg was placed under a red weather alert after unprecedented overnight rainfall. A record 149 litres per square metre were recorded, forcing the closure of 20 roads and triggering 392 emergency service interventions.
And to lighten the mood, at least a little, a new wealth map of Luxembourg caught readers’ attention. It showed 11 communes with an average salary of €10,000, up from just five municipalities in recent years. The obvious question followed: are you living in one of them?
As it could hardly have been otherwise, October’s defining moment was the historic accession of Grand Duke Guillaume, which became the month’s most-read story. More precisely, it was our live ticker, where we kept readers updated around the clock for three days straight.
In the aftermath, many were left wondering what Grand Duke Henri would do next after nearly 25 years on the throne. His answer was simple: he would “leave Luxembourg for a while”. Who can blame him? Where exactly remains unclear.
Another human-interest story that resonated strongly was that of a Luxembourg couple living in their car, struggling to survive after losing their jobs and slipping through the cracks of the social system. Not everyone looked away. People stepped in to help and contacted the media to make one thing clear: this, too, happens in Luxembourg.
And of course, it would not be a most-read list without another housing story. This time, we asked whether buying property in Luxembourg is still worth it. Spoiler alert: the answer was yes.
Findel returned to the headlines after its runway was closed yet again, this time for several hours when a light aircraft failed to complete an emergency landing. According to early police findings, the pilot reportedly became unwell.
Luxair also made the news, but on a positive note, as the airline added nine new routes, expanding its summer network to 101 destinations. Highlights included Edinburgh and Helsinki.
Amazon, by contrast, made negative headlines. We reported that, according to RTL sources, up to 470 positions in Luxembourg could be affected by the company’s latest round of job cuts. A month later, it was confirmed that 370 jobs were at risk, prompting Luxembourg’s trade unions to negotiate a historic social plan. They said there had never before been a plan affecting so many people.
In November, a primary school in Luxembourg faced a critical situation involving a child with severe behavioural issues, which led to police interventions and widespread concern among parents. The child was reported to have taken their class hostage.
We arrived at the final month of the year, and it was time to look ahead. Our most-read article was our outlook for 2026, in which we detailed what will change in the year ahead. From money and mobility to work and social life, the guide offered a comprehensive overview of what lies ahead.
Before the new year, however, came Christmas. As they have done every year since Covid, the Young Farmers returned with their festive parade to spread some holiday cheer. Information on the timings and routes became the second most-read story of the month.
As we kick off the new year, I’d like to thank you for reading this article and for visiting us throughout the year. Your support allows us to continue doing what we love. On behalf of the entire RTL Today team, I wish you a fantastic start to the new year!
