Despite the encouraging news that Felix Braz’s condition following his serious heart attack on 22 August is now stable, the fact that he will not be able to return to work in the foreseeable future has prompted his party to reshuffle ministerial portfolios.

On Wednesday morning the joint presidents of the party, Christian Kmiotek and Djuna Bernard, announced the decisions taken by Déi Gréng’s executive committee on Tuesday evening.

Sam Tanson has been confirmed as the new permanent minister for justice, the portfolio that Braz had held since the Déi Gréng-DP-LSAP coalition government was formed in 2013. Tanson will also retain the culture portfolio, but will give up the housing ministry job that she took on last autumn. Déi Gréng will next week announce its candidate to take on the housing portfolio following an extraordinary general meeting planned for 3 October.

Braz was also a deputy prime minister, a title he shared with the LSAP’s Étienne Schneider following the Greens strong showing at the October 2018 elections. François Bausch, the minister for mobility and public works, homeland security and defence, has been promoted to the deputy PM role. Bausch will be supported in the homeland security and defence jobs by the new Déi Gréng cabinet minister.

There has already been some speculation about who the party will present as its candidate to enter government. The job of finding a replacement was not made easier by the resignation of Roberto Traversini from his role as mayor of Differdange earlier this week.