Two LSAP figures in particular made the headlines on Thursday. Firstly, Jean Asselborn announced his retirement from active politics. Meanwhile, Nicolas Schmit was nominated as the lead candidate for the European Social Democrats. Schmit, the current Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, expressed his ambition to become Commission President, stating, “Other Luxembourgers have already accomplished it, so that’s nothing that really stands in the way of it.”
Many people are disappointed and no longer really know where politics is heading, Schmit said. He emphasised the need to respond to people’s concerns and restore hope: “We have to show that we are actually there for the people and also respond to their concerns. I believe this is a fundamental concern of social democracy and I want to strengthen this and promote it in a dialogue with all European citizens.”
Schmit also highlighted the threat posed by right-wing extremist parties within Europe. He cited the German Alternative for Germany (AfD) and in particular Björn Höcke, the leader of the AfD in Thuringia and former leader of the AfD’s “Der Flügel” faction, which was declared a right-wing extremist organisation by Germany’s Office for the Protection of the Constitution. He also brought up Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia, and Hungary’s Fidesz led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as examples. Stressing the importance of a robust European Union, Schmit identified its role in defending against external threats, including Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
With a clear goal of becoming the fourth Luxembourgish Commission President in the history of the EU, Schmit outlined his primary focus: addressing the needs of the most vulnerable.
“Over 90 million people in Europe are currently living in poverty or are at risk of falling into poverty,” Schmit stressed. Schmit pledged to prioritise this issue in the next European Parliament, emphasising the importance of offering a future to those facing limited prospects, including the 20 million children whose futures “are already constrained today.”
While the identities of the six LSAP candidates running in the upcoming European elections remain undisclosed, and the participation of Nicolas Schmit on any list remains uncertain, LSAP’s co-president, Francine Closener, shared key details with RTL Télé.
The LSAP is committed to gender parity in its candidate selection, assuring an equal representation of women and men. In addition, Marc Angel has already been confirmed as the lead candidate for the party.
Expressing pride in Schmit’s nomination for a prominent European position, Closener remarked, “Nicolas Schmit is not only a devoted socialist but also a devoted European.”
In the coalition negotiations between the Christian Social People’s Party (CSV) and the Democratic Party (DP), Christophe Hansen of the CSV was promised the position of EU Commissioner. If Schmit secures a high-ranking position for the European Social Democrats, Hansen’s entry into the Commission would be thwarted.
Closener highlighted historical precedence, noting that in 2013, during the coalition consisting of DP, LSAP, and the Green Party (déi Gréng), they supported Jean-Claude Juncker’s candidacy for Commission President. Consequently, they refrained from proposing their own candidate at the time: “I assume that the current government will definitely take Nicolas Schmit’s candidacy very seriously and will support us in this regard.”
The LSAP welcomed over 400 new members last year, a feat characterised as “enormous” by General Secretary Tom Jungen. Keen on sustaining this growth, the party is set to launch the “Plus One, every member counts” campaign. Co-Party President Dan Biancalana underscored the LSAP’s commitment to positioning itself as an alternative to the current conservative-neoliberal government.
In his speech, Biancalana said: “Yes, we are needed, especially in these times when selfishness and neoliberalism are widening the gap between rich and poor instead of narrowing it, which is our goal as the LSAP. We are needed in these times in which the weakest members of our society are marginalised and stigmatised. We are needed in these times in which society is divided rather than united, in which humiliation rather than humility is the order of the day.”
Francine Closener, for her part, noted that a first interim assessment of the new coalition “sends shivers down the spine.” Instead of fighting poverty, the government has chosen to fight the poor with the begging ban, she criticised.
According to Closener, the government prioritises the economy above everything else while environmental and climate protection take a back seat. In her eyes, the pension system is being changed in favour of higher earners. Closener specifically targeted the new Prime Minister Luc Frieden and his vision of Luxembourg:
“The new prime minister can be as enthusiastic about the spirit of Senningen as he is in seeing the country as a company, all of us, the entire population, as his employees, and himself as the great CEO of Luxembourg Inc. No, Luc Frieden, that’s not how it works, and we won’t accept it.”
Despite their oppositional stance, the LSAP leadership stressed their commitment to constructive proposals rather than blanket criticism. They highlighted the potential consequences of adopting a critical stance without offering alternatives, cautioning against contributing to hatred and playing into the hands of populists.
