“It was a very difficult choice to make,” Origer said regarding in early November. Origer joined the Christian Social People’s party (CSV), traditionally the largest political party in Luxembourg, at the age of 14.
“It was also a very emotional decision,” he added. “I have been involved for so long. But at a certain moment, you just have to ask yourself whether you can still be really active and whether you can really change something in the city [for the better] in that party. And I decided it would not be possible to do so.”
He noted that when he joined CSV, the social part, or left wing, of the party was very strong. It’s the reason why he joined the party. The president was, for example, leading a labour union.
Then this shifted a bit. The CSV became a more economically liberal party, but with more conservative values. “And I think this is what was also difficult for me,” Origer said. “Now we’re in 2022. It’s about diversity, about openness. This is the core strength of Luxembourg.”
But why switch now?
Origer admitted that it was a question he had long reflected on. “Do you switch now? Do you maybe just finish your mandate, and then you will switch for the elections?”
It was not a decision that happened overnight. He has been very much involved in the CSV for all these years--on the national board of the party, as president of the party for the city of Echternach. “At the end, you realise that you’re always sitting around the table with like-minded people of the same party. So you discuss the same ideas in a closed room.”
Discussions on projects and debates may cost a lot of time and energy, but I think at the end, that’s the only way to really find the best solutions
“I think it really started when I joined the Echternach city council three years ago. From that moment on, I was confronted with ideas from other parties.” Origer added that he really had issues voting for a certain position just because the party said to do so, or the idea that everything that comes from the opposition is bad.
“I found myself more and more in between. I would ask, ‘Why can’t we find a compromise and discuss it?’” At a certain point, he realised that it was time to go.
A different approach with déi Gréng
Parties that function very hierarchically are not really what young people are looking for anymore. “It was maybe good for the 80s or 90s, but I think today, that’s not where the trend goes,” said Origer. “It’s true that discussions on projects and debates may cost a lot of time and energy, but I think at the end, that’s the only way to really find the best solutions. And that’s the big thing that drove me to the Greens.”
On the one hand, you’re a bit anxious, but on the other side, you just have to follow your values
He added that he’s already seen this “bottom-up attitude” in his first meetings with the Green party. “It’s amazing. Everything is discussed.”
This sounds rather idealistic, doesn’t it? “Yeah, but it’s true! I have to say, I feel a bit like I had a position in a big bank, which was safe, where you know how to evolve, and everything was fine. Then you just decide, no, let’s go for a startup that’s going to go in a new way.”
“On the one hand, you’re a bit anxious, but on the other side, you just have to follow your values,” Origer said.
What does the shift mean for Echternach?
With Origer’s switch, the CSV-LSAP coalition no longer has a majority in Echternach’s city council--it is now the Greens who make up the largest fraction. But according to Origer, this will not be a blocking point on issues. For example, the council had a big vote on Echternach’s plan d’aménagement général (general development plan) on Monday 7 November--the plan was a product of 16 years of discussion--and the Greens also voted in favour of it.
One of the reasons I took my decision is because I really am so passionate about the city
The budget is next, and will be voted on in December. “What I hope this means, is that the CSV-LSAP will take us seriously when we come now with our points. I hope this brings more compromise to the table and more open discussion,” said Origer.
“One of the reasons I took my decision is because I really am so passionate about the city,” he added. Echternach is, in fact, the oldest town in the country. He emphasised the importance of valuing its culture, its history and its architecture. “I’ve always lived here, I went to high school here, and I think there’s so, so, so much to do for Echternach. And I hope now we can get this initiative to make Echternach a more lively city, to give it the place that it deserves.”
Key future issues for Echternach include a way to boost and empower small shop owners--“the face of the city”--as well as a focus on mobility. The city is located on the border between Germany and Luxembourg, meaning there are many cars that pass through. But it also needs to be made more navigable for pedestrians or cyclists. “[We] must make it a city where you can walk and bike through, where you have less noise and problems with the current traffic situation.”
Climate justice
Those issues sound like they relate to climate--is that an element that led you to the Greens, I asked. “It was the social link that attracted me to the CSV,” Origer said. “And ‘social’ today means climate justice.”
Getting involved in politics means being really passionate and willing to give your free time to drive things further, he continued. And the question that must be asked is, what is the biggest issue we have? There are a lot of issues, he admitted. “But the big issue that will affect all the generations that come after us is climate change.” If we don’t protect our environment, said Origer, then everything else is no longer of value.
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“And this is a problem with a lot of parties. For example, the CSV says, ‘Yes, we’re in favour of protecting the environment, but…’ And there’s always a ‘but.’” Working as a lawyer in the finance industry, Origer said he sees the growing importance of sustainable finance. The Greens are the party who are putting their efforts into fighting for the environment.
Looking ahead
Luxembourg’s elections are coming up in less than a year. Is he considering a run for political office at the national level? “It’s the members who decide,” replied Origer. “If the party and the members would ask me to participate in national elections, I would not say no.” He added, “I would like to get involved, where I can put things forward.”
As we wrapped things up, I asked one more question, somewhat related to climate and the environment. Origer is also president of the regional tourist office of the Mullerthal region, made up of 14 different communes that discuss projects and ideas to evolve. What is his favourite hike? “The B2 Berdorf trail. It’s just amazing. You can see the whole of the Mullerthal in a little package.”