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Tripartite talks confirmed as Luxembourg faces rising energy costs

The government is preparing to convene a tripartite meeting in the coming weeks as surging energy prices tied to the Iran war raise fears of an emerging economic crisis, as confirmed by PM Luc Frieden on Wednesday.

Frieden had previously argued that a tripartite meeting between government and social partners is a crisis tool and that the moment to deploy it had not yet arrived. The shift comes as pressure builds, with the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) warning that the surge in energy costs is pushing the country towards a difficult economic situation.

Earlier, CSV secretary general Alex Donnersbach had spoken to RTL and said a tripartite meeting could help address the situation, while cautioning it is not a cure-all.
Frieden stressed the need for calm and measured decision-making, ruling out rushed actions. The government's priority, he said, is to maintain social cohesion, protect purchasing power, and safeguard the competitiveness of businesses to preserve jobs.

Also today

• Ten cases from an expert report into Dr Philippe Wilmes have been referred to the public prosecutor, as the investigation into the suspended surgeon enters a new phase.
• In an RTL debate, Finance Minister Gilles Roth and Chamber of Employees director Sylvain Hoffmann clashed over tax fairness.
• A pilot project at Lycée Michel Rodange puts Luxembourgish on the timetable.
• The German government has halved its growth forecast for this year as a result of the energy shock triggered by the Middle East war.
• Iranian gunboats fired on two container ships near the Strait of Hormuz today, escalating tensions despite a US-brokered ceasefire extension.
• Pope Leo XIV has called for "greater room for freedom" in Equatorial Guinea and delivered a rare criticism of living conditions for prisoners.

On air

City Sounds has once again announced major international DJs and artists to Luxembourg City's Glacis for the 2026 National Day celebrations, with performances by Alesso, Nicky Romero, and OneRepublic among the highlights.

Figure of the day

Ukraine restarts Russian oil pipeline as EU gives preliminary approval to unblock €90-bn loan

• The EU on Wednesday gave the green light to unblock a 90-billion-euro ($106 billion) loan for Kyiv, after the deadlock was broken in a months-long row between Ukraine and Hungary over a damaged pipeline.
• Diplomats said the definitive sign-off should come by Thursday as Budapest waits for Russian oil to arrive through the Druzhba pipeline after Kyiv said operations had restarted.

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