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Ministers Spautz and Hansen officially sworn in as Mischo steps down

Following a meeting between Grand Duke Guillaume and former labour minister Georges Mischo, Marc Spautz and Martine Hansen were officially sworn in as Mischo’s successors today.

Former labour and sports minister Georges Mischo attended his farewell audience with the Grand Duke at the palace, declining to speak at length to RTL reporters before and after the meeting. His resignation was a “difficult moment”. He also declined to comment on what lies ahead in terms of his political future, but the Prime Minister later said: “When someone is named Minister from the Chamber, the Chamber then writes to the next person [to join the Chamber of Deputies] and as far as I know, that would be Mr Mischo.”

Frieden added: “Today is a joyful day as we are getting two new ministers who will bring fresh energy to their work, and I think the last few days have shown a sense of unity behind this. On Wednesday evening there was a unanimous vote among the CSV, so it’s a good start for Minister Spautz and for Minister Hansen. We need to look to the future now, I think. That’s the energy behind this, and I wish them good luck.”

Also today

• Widespread disruption has hit Portuguese air travel and trains, hospitals and schools today as unions called the biggest nationwide strike action for more than a decade against government labour reforms.
  Lisbon’s main train station was empty with most services cancelled and the TAP Air Portugal national airline called off about two thirds of its normal 250 flights.
• The Ministry of Health has published its weekly report on respiratory infections such as influenza, Covid-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
  In the first week of December, the number of flu cases detected in Luxembourg’s laboratories doubled, jumping from 182 cases to 367 cases, or a 102% increase. The Ministry of Health said the majority of infections had been detected in children or adolescents. From 1 to 7 December, 99.7% of cases were influenza A and 0.3% influenza B.
• As part of the action plan to promote the Luxembourgish language, the government presented new bilingual welcome signs, which will be installed along motorways near the country’s borders from today. The signs, an initiative headed by the Ministry of Culture and the Roads and Bridges Administration, welcome motorists in Luxembourgish and the language of the respective neighbouring country, as well as bidding them farewell on the lanes leaving the Grand Duchy.
• Bulgaria’s prime minister has Thursday that his government was resigning after less than a year in office following a series of anti-corruption protests.
  Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Bulgaria on Wednesday to protest against the government and corruption in the latest rally since the end of last month.
• Yesterday evening, Amnesty International Luxembourg organised a march through Luxembourg City to call for the protection of human rights and to draw attention to injustices both at home and abroad.
  Around 100 people took part in the torch-lit demonstration, singing songs, and delivering speeches about peace and human rights and while most attendees said they were satisfied with the human rights situation in Luxembourg, they also acknowledged ongoing challenges.

On air

Luxembourg Song Competition hopefuls are being introduced to the nation!

Figure of the day

The Ministry of Health has reported that in the first week of December, the number of flu cases was 367

• This is a jump of 102% from the previous week, which reported 182 cases.
• The Ministry said the majority of infections had been detected in children or adolescents. From 1 to 7 December, 99.7% of cases were influenza A and 0.3% influenza B and these figures confirm the start of the “seasonal flu wave”. It added that it was still possible for people to seek flu vaccinations, and as of this year, all flu vaccines are free of charge for children under 18

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