To mark the summer break, prime minister (CSV) presented journalists with a little gift: the tabling on 24 July 2024 of a bill enshrining their right of access to information. From now on, Luxembourg’s body of legislation, which since 2018 has recognised the right of any person to have access to administrative documents held by the public authorities, will recognise a specific right of access to information for journalists.

In praise of team spirit

Rather than going back over the details of the measures taken since the appointment of the new government----the prime minister highlighted the good understanding between the ministers and above all the good collaboration between the ministries. “All the measures that have been taken have been implemented quickly thanks to the cooperation between the ministers and their teams. Team spirit translates into teamwork on the ground. This was particularly evident in the housing sector. Many ministries were involved.”

“Over the last eight months, decisions have been results-oriented. A lot has been done to implement the coalition programme. It feels like we’ve been working for three years!”

It’s “a programme that aims to put the economy, society and ecology on an equal footing,” Frieden said. “It’s only when you have a strong economy that you can have a social economy. And it’s only when we have strong businesses that we can finance the ecological transition.” Now that the first measures have been taken, we will have to wait a few months to see whether they achieve their aim. And to see whether the measures to support purchasing power and the tax breaks decided on for both individuals and businesses will start the virtuous circle on which the government's policy is based, namely a recovery in activity that will fill the state’s coffers.

Pensions: first elements of the method

In the meantime, Frieden will be faced with an explosive issue in the autumn: the future of pensions.

While the government’s intention seems to be to reform, this will be done through debate. Though the details of how this debate will be organised have not yet been decided, the prime minister is calling for it to be conducted “in a calm and considered manner.” “Faced with an ageing population, there is a problem of medium- and long-term funding. This is the issue that needs to be debated. It is a challenge for all European societies. We need to see this challenge in order to solve it. The idea is not for the government to make a decision by saying that such and such is right and such is wrong. We need to find a solution together. In a democracy, and this is the difference with a dictatorship, there are several opinions and you have to be prepared to compromise. That’s the strength and richness of our democracy.”

In the meantime, the prime minister will be going on holiday with the opinion just issued by the Economic and Social Council. Sound reading.

This article was originally published in .