Luxembourg lawmakers adopt 2025 budget
Luxembourg’s parliament has adopted the 2025 budget, with a majority of deputies approving the package in a vote on Thursday.
A total of 35 deputies gave their backing to the bill, with 25 voting against during Thursday’s vote, which followed an eight-hour debate the previous day in which opposition parties hit out at the government’s plans.
The budget “does not provide a scenario” for how the economy should develop, said the ADR’s Fred Keup.
Former government minister, déi Gréng deputy Sam Tanson, said the plans lacked “major projects” while there was no “real goal” contained in the proposals, said another ex-minister, Taina Bofferding of the LSAP.
EU auditor to rent rooms for trainees amid housing squeeze
The EU’s Luxembourg-based budget watchdog is planning to rent housing for its trainees, in the first move of its kind by an EU institution to help staff struggling with the country’s soaring accommodation costs.
The European Court of Auditors (ECA) said it plans to rent part of a building from a developer in Junglinster in eastern Luxembourg from mid-2027, in order to offer rooms for rent to trainees.
No acquittal in Mazan rape trial, maximum sentence for Dominique Pelicot
The Vaucluse criminal court sentenced Dominique Pelicot to the maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and found all 50 of his co-defendants guilty on Thursday morning in Avignon, bringing to a close the four-month Mazan rape trial that has become a symbol of violence against women.
“Mr Pelicot, you have been found guilty of aggravated rape of Gisèle Pelicot,” said the presiding judge, Roger Arata, to the man who had doped his now ex-wife Gisèle for a decade, turning her into his sexual object and delivering her to dozens of men recruited on the internet.
Then, unsurprisingly, the judge announced that Pelicot had been sentenced to the maximum possible penalty for aggravated rape: 20 years’ imprisonment with a two-thirds security period, as requested by the prosecution in its closing arguments at the end of November.
Luxair CEO’s former partner joins airline’s board of directors
A former romantic couple will work at the centre of decision-making at Luxembourg’s passenger airline after top transport ministry civil servant Félicie Weycker was appointed to the Luxair board of directors.
The airline and its chief executive officer, Gilles Feith, declined to comment on Monday about the ministry nominating Weycker to the body that evaluates his performance and tenure. Feith did not respond when asked by email whether he continues to own property or has any other financial interests together with Weycker.
Weycker’s appointment took effect on 5 December after the departure of former top ministry civil servant Tom Weisgerber, who retired from his job at the end of September, the ministry said on Monday.
Government approves plan for longer shopping hours
Luxembourg shoppers may soon benefit from longer opening hours, as pledged by the government in its coalition agreement, following cabinet approval of the draft legislation on Wednesday.
Under the bill, which will now be sent to parliament, opening hours for all licenced commercial and craft activities would be liberalised, allowing retailers to change their hours if they wish.
The government believes the bill is necessary because of changing consumer habits and the high number of applications for exemptions to the existing legislation that are received from retailers.