Amidst the rounds of new year’s receptions held by cabinet ministers for colleagues and associates that hosted by the ministry of state and communications ministry receives the most attention. Hardly surprising as the guests are journalists and representatives of Luxembourg’s media businesses.

The reception is a chance for the president of the press council to gently prod the government on its failure to create a legal framework that would allow journalists access to information at various public administrations. But outgoing president Josy Lorent also praised the work of journalists all around the world and revealed that presently Luxembourg is home to some 493 accredited journalists.

Jean-Claude Juncker generally plies journalists at the event with his trademark dry wit and did not disappoint this year. He, too, said he respected the quality and quantity of the work carried out by local journalists, most of whom have to cover a variety of subjects.

But he warned against respect and even friendliness leading to “buddiness” and said that even if he did have friendly relations with some local journalists that did not mean he called them up to complain if they had written something with which he disagreed (a reference to the current controversy surrounding German president Wulff and the Bild newspaper).

The prime minister also warned that by the end of 2012 many observers will probably be looking back on 2011 as a relatively good year. “Europe and especially the euro zone is on the verge of a recession, and nobody knows how deep it will be,” Juncker said. However, he also said he was not a fan of those commentators who hide their ignorance about the economic situation by predicting total catastrophe.

He also reminded his audience that the failure, for the second successive year, of the tripartite meeting between government, employers and unions did not mean the collapse of the Luxembourg social model. “In 1982 and 1983, under the presidency of prime minister Pierre Werner, the tripartite also failed to find agreement and the subsequent modulation of the Index was greeted with a general strike.”

Juncker also said that in contrast to Josy Lorent, who is stepping down as president of the press council, he would be here to address the reception next year--a clear indication that he has no plans to seek the permanent presidency of the Eurogroup when his mandate as part-time chairman ends in June this year.