Just two parliament petitions passed new threshold for debate in past year

Only two petitions submitted to Luxembourg’s parliament have passed the threshold to be debated since changes were introduced a year ago raising the number of signatures required.

In March 2025, the threshold was increased from 4,500 to 5,500, backed by the CSV-DP coalition government and the LSAP party, but opposed by déi Lénk and déi Gréng, which wanted to maintain the status quo, and the Pirates, which argued for lowering the threshold.

A year on, only two petitions crossing the raised treshold in the space of a year.

A petitioner who collects 5,500 signatures for their petition is entitled to a public hearing in the Chamber of Deputies  © Photo credit: Shutterstock

In December, deputies debated a call for an increase in the state meal allowance for civil servants, the first petition to reach the new threshold, garnering over 6,000 signatures.

Last month, a second petition passed the threshold, calling for protection against the mistreatment of animals in the context of organised begging. The petition gained over 6,300 signatures, although a public hearing in the Chamber of Deputies is yet to take place.

‘Psychological hurdle’

For Pirate MP Marc Goergen, the reason for the low number of successful petitions is clear: the increase in the threshold a year ago has created a “psychological hurdle” for petitioners.

“Now that they have to collect more signatures, people have lost interest in petitions,” Goergen said, adding that it sent a “signal to the outside world” that the majority parties had little interest in citizens’ concerns.

The Pirates are continuing to argue for lowering the threshold even below the previous level of 4,500. “We had proposed 3,000 signatures. It would benefit the chamber if citizens’ concerns were more strongly represented on the parliamentary agenda,” said Goergen.

However, this is not the only way to increase citizen participation, said Goergen. For some time now, there have been doubts about what petitions can achieve through public hearings. Petitioners have a right to have their request commented on – but there is no guarantee that any change will ultimately be implemented.

Petitions should be discussed further in the relevant chamber committee after a hearing, Goergen believes, and a corresponding legislative text should be drafted. Ultimately, a vote in parliament should then decide whether the petition request is implemented. “If the usual reaction to a petition is that nothing happens, then it doesn’t benefit people,” he said.

Citizen responsibility

LSAP deputy Francine Closener, president of the chamber’s petitions committee, defended the increase in the threshold, arguing that the fact that fewer petitions were signed has nothing to do with the system but is simply a coincidence. “Many petitions addressed very specific issues or were difficult to understand. We can’t change that,” she said.

The only petition during the last year which would have qualified under the old threshold was petition 3944, which opposes the introduction of unisex toilets in schools. By Wednesday, the last day to sign the petition, it had gathered 4,730 signatures.

Within a few days of its launch, the petition had quickly gained momentum when it was released for signing, but Education Minister Claude Meisch himself took the wind out of its sails.

He quickly clarified that Luxembourg schools will in future continue to have toilet blocks with enclosed cubicles uniquely for boys and for girls, in addition to new “neutral” toilet blocks. “If the government hadn’t backtracked, the petition would have reached the required quorum,” said Closener.

LSAP deputy Francine Closener, president of the chamber’s petitions committee © Photo credit: Marc Wilwert/LW-Archiv

He quickly clarified that Luxembourg schools will in future continue to have toilet blocks with enclosed cubicles uniquely for boys and for girls, in addition to new “neutral” toilet blocks. “If the government hadn’t backtracked, the petition would have reached the required quorum,” said Closener.

While the raised threshold caused some disagreement between parties, the issue is no longer up for discussion in the petitions committee, said Closener, who described petitions as “a good instrument”.

“However, the chamber is not there to motivate people to sign petitions. That is the responsibility of the citizen,” she said.

One question still troubles Closener: how can it be ensured that petitioners feel heard once they have reached the required threshold? Petitioners who had demanded an increase in the meal allowance for civil servants, for example, left the Chamber of Deputies disappointed. The measure was simply not financially feasible, the government had concluded.

Nevertheless, Closener emphasizes that there is no right to have a petition implemented. “You have the right to voice your concerns and to receive a response, but not the right to have something done.”

(This article was originally published by the Luxemburger Wort. Machine translated using AI, with editing and adaptation by John Monaghan.)