The CSV political heavyweight still has not been officially nominated for a candidate list in national elections to be held later this year, and the council of wise men of the party has to decide whether she should run in the Centre or the South constituency.

Reding is, according to recent polls, the most popular CSV politician, ahead of the lead candidate Claude Wiseler and the party leader Marc Spautz.

In either constituency Reding could take votes away from either Wiseler (in the Centre) or Spautz (South). Reding said she stood by the lead candidate and that her party had many talented people, both experienced and younger ones.

Schneider: Macron or Trump?

In an interview with RTL radio on Friday 12 January, she said that:

“Our prime minister takes nice pictures with [French president Emmanuel] Macron, but when Macron and others discuss how to reform the EU, he is not even invited. Our finance minister wants to be president of the Eurogroup, but when it comes to defending the Luxembourg position on the issue of banking supervision, the Luxembourg position is not even presented, and is only defended at the end when everyone is decided. Our foreign affairs minister issues strong words in the media, but when it comes to tell the Turkish dictator that enough is enough and EU membership negotiations will be put on ice, then he is elegantly absent.”

She also attacked LSAP economy minister Etienne Schneider, who, she said, “doesn’t know if he wants to be Macron or Trump.”

She added that: “sometimes he does both at the same time, then he does pure Trumpism and defends things which have absolutely no value, such as saying the CSV wants to lower pensions!”

Ministerial ambitions

When asked which ministry she would consider if she was elected on 14 October, Reding said that the posts of foreign affairs minister, European affairs minister, finance minister or economy minister could all be a possibility: “I can do many things,” adding that it was about the party and where her competences would be needed. She stressed again that the CSV had both experienced and young talents, and both would be used.

Return of tripartite,

Reding argued for a return of the tripartite, and that important issues such as the minimum wage or the sustainability of the pension system should not be reduced to campaign slogans, as other parties did. She pleaded for “discussions” with all the relevant actors, trade unions and businesses, to come up with solutions.

Concerning the Luxembourg growth model, Reding argued that Luxembourg’s growth was externally driven, but should be more oriented towards internal growth and Luxembourg SMEs should be supported more.

Reding was a national MP from 1979 to 1989, EU commissioner for education, culture, media and sport from 1999-2004, EU commissioner for information society and media from 2004-2010, then EU commissioner for justice, fundamental rights and citizenship from 2010-2014.