Why do former ministers in Luxembourg frequently become senior government advisors shortly after leaving office? This recurring practice has drawn criticism for the swift transition of resigned ministers into high-ranking civil service posts.
A recent example is Georges Mischo, who resigned as Minister of Labour in December and became a member of parliament this month. He has now been appointed as a senior government advisor for a seven-year term, according to a Grand-Ducal decree that does not specify his assigned ministry.
No. This follows a well-established pattern. Following the 2023 elections and the subsequent change in government, outgoing LSAP and Green Party ministers Paulette Lenert, Georges Engel, and Joëlle Welfring were similarly appointed as senior government advisors. In 2013, when the CSV was ousted from government, former ministers Claude Wiseler and Octavie Modert received equivalent appointments. Notably, all these individuals were originally career civil servants who forfeited that status upon entering government. The appointment effectively reinstates it upon their departure.
It is important to clarify that, despite these appointments, the former ministers are not currently working as civil servants but are serving as MPs – two legally incompatible roles.
The rationale is financial. A civil servant who becomes an MP receives the parliamentary salary (approximately €9,000, taxed at 50%) plus allowances for committee and plenary work. Crucially, they are also entitled to a “traitement d’attente,” or transitional salary, calculated as a portion of their last civil service pay. Therefore, until the next legislative elections, these ex-ministers appointed as senior advisors receive an additional €9,000 to €10,000 on top of their MP salary.
In Georges Mischo’s case, without this appointment, he would receive “only” his MP salary, as he is no longer employed as a PE teacher. It is essential to distinguish this civil servant transitional salary from the separate two-year transitional allowance for ex-ministers. The two cannot be received concurrently.
One common justification for high political remuneration is the need to attract talent. The argument posits that few would enter politics – a field of intense public scrutiny – if it came with significant professional or financial penalty, or at least without commensurate reward. This consideration applies even in cases like that of Georges Mischo, where public criticism of a minister’s tenure may be widespread.
Politicians themselves are aware of the contentious nature of these arrangements. Consequently, the Chamber of Deputies is engaged in ongoing efforts to modernise the legal and financial status of MPs – a complex task, particularly due to the prevalence of concurrent mandates.
Should these modernisation efforts stall or fail, the issue is certain to resurface. Voters can expect journalists to scrutinise the lack of reform during the next election cycle, reviving the perennial question of whether government officials and parliamentarians should be subject to full income taxation without special allowances.
For politicians, however, there already exists a direct evaluation mechanism for their performance and decisions: the electoral process itself.
