During a current affairs debate in the Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday, PM Luc Frieden answered questions from MPs at length.
Following Tuesday's announcement of the dates for the next tripartite talks, the PM confirmed that the government will first meet trade unions and employers separately on 6 May.
A broader meeting involving all three parties, as well as experts from the energy sector and the National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (STATEC), is scheduled for 12 May. Further tripartite meetings are expected in the first week of June, likely on 2 and 3 June.
Opposition MPs repeatedly pressed Frieden to clarify which issues would be addressed during the talks, but he declined to provide specifics. MP Sam Tanson of The Greens (déi gréng) sought to determine whether discussions would be limited to rising energy prices or also include housing, unemployment, and poverty.
Frieden responded that the government first wanted to consult with social partners and that setting out a detailed agenda in advance would not be constructive. He pointed to the geopolitical context, particularly the war in Iran and its consequences, as the main trigger for the talks.
Attempts by MPs from The Left (déi Lénk), the Pirate Party (Piratepartei), and the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP) to draw him into more concrete answers were unsuccessful.
PM Luc Frieden also faced criticism over the timing and motivations behind convening the tripartite. LSAP MP Georges Engel argued that "this decision to convene the tripartite does not come from conviction", but rather from mounting pressure from the opposition, social partners, and even within the government, suggesting Frieden had ultimately given in because he had little choice.
Asked by LSAP MPs whether Luxembourg is currently facing a crisis, Frieden said that "the real crisis may still lie ahead", adding that this is the consensus among leaders in other European countries. "Some prices have already risen", he said.
Friden warned that significant supply shortages, particularly for oil products, could occur if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed for an extended period, stressing the need to prepare for all possible scenarios.
The Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR) was the only party to oppose the need for tripartite talks at this stage. Its parliamentary leader Fred Keup said clearly: "We don't need tripartite talks', instead calling for an immediate reduction of fuel excise duties by 10 cents per litre.
Meanwhile, Laurent Zeimet, leader of the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) parliamentary group, defended Frieden. However, his counterpart from the Democratic Party (DP), Carole Hartmann, did not deny that ministers from her party had encouraged Frieden to convene the tripartite talks.
