Asked after the press conference whether he would like to see what he calls his passion project through, Bausch stated that, while he would love to do so for the sake of the projects, “in these past years, I’ve given everything. When you look at everything that’s been done in the last nine years.”  He adds: “I’ve always followed the idea that I should give everything for ten years, afterwards I should do something else.”

Bausch will certainly present himself as a candidate during the 2023 elections, he says, but won’t run for a position in government. This was already decided four years ago, Bausch explained. The minister, who is also head of the defence ministry, joined the government in 2013.

At the time, he was in charge of the ministry of sustainable development and infrastructure, before taking on the ministries of defence, transports and public works, and internal security in 2018. In 2020, he handed over the internal security dossier to fellow déi Gréng minister Henri Kox. Bausch also serves as a deputy prime minister to Xavier Bettel (DP).

“It’s an incredible luck to have been able to work as a minister for ten years,” and though Bausch intends to give his all until the end of his mandate in 2023, he does not plan on extending it.