Paperjam: Please, introduce yourselves.

: I’m 52 years old and come from several regions in France, from Marseille to Bordeaux, but I consider myself to be from Dijon in Burgundy. After 22 years’ service in the French army and all over the world, I continued my career as an IT consultant for the European institutions. Now I’m working for the historic postal and telecoms distributor--the Post--in Luxembourg. I’ve been working in the grand duchy for 13 years and have lived here for six.

Danielle Choucroun: And I’m a medical doctor with a degree from the faculty of medicine in Paris and an inter-university diploma in gynaecology, sexology and behavioural medicine. After working in private practice and in hospitals for over 20 years in the Paris region, I moved to the grand duchy in January 2019. I’m currently involved in scientific research, particularly on female contraception.

And the Communauté des Français du Luxembourg?

CB: At the time of this interview, the Communauté des Français du Luxembourg [French Community of Luxembourg] is just one year old. We launched it as an initiative to unite the French in Luxembourg, in response to their demand. There are about 50 of us registered in a Whatsapp group, but if you add up all the social networks there are some 4,000 friends and followers. currently attracts 150 unique visitors a day.

Our aim, or rather our mission, is to help the French here integrate into Luxembourg’s cultural, economic and political world, but also to unite the French in Luxembourg, whatever their age… we want to encourage intergenerational links (our members range in age from 22 to 84).

We also want to keep the French as well informed as possible, which is why we publish a daily press review and numerous articles. This morning, for example, a young lawyer new to the grand duchy was looking for a flat to share and we put him in touch with several people within a few hours. And we receive many CVs from French people looking for work and we publish their CVs to increase their chances of being contacted.

In short, we want to respond to the concerns of French people in a free environment, because we are not an association but a community.

DC: We also provide information on the administrative procedures that new arrivals may have to go through, addressing questions about education, schooling, employment, property and health in Luxembourg. Our aim is to provide local support, availability and a personalised response to everyone’s needs.

What kinds of events do you organise?

CB: Every fortnight, we co-organise an after-work gathering with young French people in Luxembourg, many of whom are volontariat international en entreprise (international company volunteers or VIEs). They organise it, while we communicate the event and participate as well.

Generally speaking, we organise a meeting every two months or so on a theme chosen in advance or sometimes with a guest from the world of politics, business or institutions. These meet-ups are always a great success because they give our members and followers the chance to meet people they might not otherwise meet so easily. The conversation continues with a dinner afterwards.

Our next events will be on 9 May to celebrate Europe Day with a trip to Schengen followed by a citizens’ picnic in Remich; and a three-part evening on 19 May: 30 minutes dedicated to real estate, followed by a reception for French senator Véronique Guillotin and ending with our traditional dinner.

DC: Our events follow the local cultural, sporting, economic, political and educational agendas, with a frequency that can vary from once to several times a month. Informal get-togethers can also be arranged with no set objective, simply to meet up and share a pleasant moment on a terrace or around a table. The aim of our organisation is also to get to know each other better within our community, so that if necessary we can provide support that’s specific to each person’s situation.

Your website states that you’re a political think tank. What does that entail?

CB: In our meetings and on our Whatsapp group, we open up debates on politics in Luxembourg and France. At our last meeting, for example, we put forward five topics for discussion and our members chose two of them to discuss in sub-groups. They then reported back to the rest of the participants. The two topics for that evening were “cultural and linguistic integration: the key to successful social cohesion” and “what levers can be used to better represent French residents in local life in Luxembourg?”

DC: Our community proposes a political reflection to debate government decisions and to encourage respectful speech and dialogue with the aim of developing democratic decisions. We have already welcomed the first deputy and alderperson of the city of Luxembourg, who found our initiative very interesting. For us, he will remain “forever the first”… our first-ever guest speaker.

Any notable anecdotes from your meet-ups so far?

CB: We have a lot of micro-anecdotes, from guests arriving 20 minutes early, to members who didn’t read the invitation properly and went to the wrong venue, to our photographer whose “mission” was to take a few photos and yet sent me 150 photos the same evening (75 of which were duplicates). In the end I spent more time sorting out the photos for the article than preparing the meeting.

DC: [laughing] The photographer Christophe is referring to is me!

How many French people live in Luxembourg?

CB: It’s difficult to be precise, but if you count the French as well as French/Luxembourgish dual citizens, there are around 59,000 of us. What is certain is that the French represent the second largest community in the country, but also the largest foreign community living in the capital.

DC: As of 1 January 2024, some 49,071 people of exclusively French nationality were living in Luxembourg.

Would you say that France and Luxembourg are culturally close?

CB: I’m not sure if, culturally, you could say that the French are close to the Luxembourgers. I rather think that Luxembourg’s culture is closer to Germanic culture, or even closer to eastern France. The language is also rather Germanic, even if it includes a lot of French words. Rigour and respect are values that I appreciate enormously and I think they are values of integration.

The most surprising thing for me is still school and learning four languages there. I have a colleague who speaks eight! These are normal things for a Luxembourger, but in the eyes of the world they remain exceptional.

DC: Generally speaking, multilingualism is impressive in Luxembourg. And I’ve been surprised at how easy it is to meet members of the government, who are always present at events, particularly cultural, sporting and health-related events. Exchanges are always simple, cordial and instructive.

Back in France, what are the stereotypes about Luxembourg? How true are they?

CB: When I first moved here, my family and friends always had preconceptions and clichés about Luxembourg, a country often perceived as “a country of the rich” and “a country of bankers” and “an overpriced tax haven where everyone had a big car.” [He laughs.] I even heard someone say at a party: “Switzerland, Panama, Luxembourg… it’s all the same.” [He laughs again.]

The size of the country seems to be a real handicap insofar as how well it’s known elsewhere in Europe… yet it’s home to a dynamic technology industry, efficient public services, a booming startup ecosystem and magnificent landscapes that tourists love like the Mullerthal and the Moselle valley--and numerous castles too. The country undeniably has a rich culture, an active social life and a real multicultural appeal that is its strength.

DC: Luxembourg is perceived abroad as a very rich country and a tax haven. But the reality on the ground is different: Luxembourg also has a vulnerable population, even if resources are available for them, for example in the area of health.

All right: talk to us about Luxembourgish cuisine.

CB: Although I’m French, I’m no gastronomy expert… and as one of Luxembourg’s iconic ministers once said: “You don’t come to Luxembourg for its gastronomy or its climate!” But I am a bon vivant, and I think that Luxembourg’s cuisine is a reflection of the country: multicultural, with Germanic, Belgian and French influences. A good Judd mat Gaardebounen will keep you going… and throw in a beer or a good white wine from the Moselle and good times are guaranteed.

DC: As a vegetarian, I’ve been pleasantly surprised to see that almost all the restaurants offer suitable options. I always enjoy Gromperekichelcher with applesauce.

Anything else to add?

CB: We haven’t mentioned it, but we’re not in competition with other associations because what we offer is different. We see ourselves as complementary and are happy to provide information on the activities of other groups if they ask or suggest it.

DC: As far as our status is concerned, we haven’t set up an association, so there’s no committee, no leader, no time-wasting general meetings and above all no membership fees… joining us is free (although members do have to pay for their own drinks!)

This interview was originally conducted in French.