A publicity stunt in which Luxembourg’s prime minister called residents in Diekirch to ask them how they were doing has drawn criticism.
On 6 April, the DP posted an edited video on its Facebook page dubbed “Better Call Bettel”, showing Xavier Bettel calling a blue phone in a street in Diekirch. When passersby picked up the phone, the prime minister wes at the other end of the line, and asked how they were and what their concerns were.
The title is a nod to the popular Netflix series “Better Call Saul”, a spin-off from “Breaking Bad”, charting the fall from grace of a budding young lawyer.
“Another example of how ridiculous election campaigns can get in the age of social media,” Brussels correspondent to the Wort Diego Velazquez tweeted on 6 April.
Tageblatt journalist Nicolas Wildschutz, meanwhile, tweeted a little reminder that “I can make it legal” is the catchphrase of the character in “Better Call Saul”, asking if this is a nod to the DP’s tax policy.
The stunt appears to be the first of many from the DP planned before the October legislative elections, since this first video was titled “episode 1”. It has since prompted similar memes from the public on other parties.
Geckeg_Oder tweeted on 7 April a parody promotional photo from the series “Orange is the new Black”, featuring the heads of prominent CSV candidates on the bodies of prison inmates.
In an unrelated matter, meanwhile, Wim Delvoye was quoted in the Tageblatt, among other sources, criticising Bettel for not returning his phone calls in relation to the dismantling of his iconic chapel artwork at Mudam.