Luxembourgers are pessimistic about European cohesion and social issues

Nearly half of respondents in a Quest Market Intelligence survey had a negative outlook on their tax burden and personal finances, with the results overall painting a pessimistic picture of the year that was in Luxembourg.

Based on responses from 600 people living in Luxembourg, the survey found that 49% had a negative outlook on their personal finances. That included 19% citing a very negative environment. Around one in three had a neutral outlook but only 18% said their financial situatoin had changed for the better.

“Although the majority of the population is probably not directly affected by an actual erosion of their personal situation, a significant proportion of respondents seem to be influenced by debates focused on the most vulnerable members of society,” said Quest Market Intelligence in a press release on Friday.

Pension reform was one of the most prominent political issues in 2025. On Luxembourg’s ability to sustain its social systems for future generations, respondents were divided. While 37% felt that a meaningful debate had begun, 41% believed the country was avoiding or refusing such discussions.

“These results suggest that the population does not share a common diagnosis of the need for action or a clear roadmap forward,” Quest said.

The pension reform was a key theme throughout the year. When asked about Luxembourg’s ability to sustain its social systems for future generations, respondents were split.

While 37% of those questioned felt that a debate on the subject had begun in the country, 41% felt that the country was avoiding or refusing an in-depth discussion. “These results suggest that the population does not necessarily share a common diagnosis of the need for action or the roadmap to be followed,” said the market research company.

European cohesion under fire

Social issues – including both societal challenges and social support – were also viewed negatively. Half of respondents felt that social conditions had deteriorated, with 20% pointing to a significant decline.

European cohesion emerged as one of the most critically viewed areas. Despite Luxembourg’s traditionally pro-European stance, 62% of respondents believe the EU has lost ground in its ability to act collectively. Quest interpreted this as “a feeling of powerlessness in the face of the European project’s shortcomings and perceived threats in a tense international context.”

Views on the environment were similarly lukewarm. While 43% saw no change in environmental and climate policies by 2025, 34% felt the country had taken a step backwards.

“The environment appears to have become a largely silent topic, with no clearly identifiable momentum,” the survey said.

Digitalisation stands out

Perceptions of the economy were more neutral: nearly six in ten respondents (59%) felt there had been no change in Luxembourg’s approach to business and economic policy or that they could not assess this criteria. Views were evenly split between negative (20%) and positive (21%). According to Quest, “the complexity of economic policy trade-offs makes them difficult for the general public to grasp”.

Digitalisation was the only area to attract clearly positive assessments. Half of respondents felt that progress had been made in the digitisation and simplification of public services, while 15% believed the situation had worsened. “This is the only area where positive perceptions clearly dominate,” Quest said.

Overall, the survey points to a rather negative public mood, marked by uncertainty and concern about the future. “A key challenge lies in better explaining policy choices and guiding the population through necessary adjustments,” Quest concluded.

Methodology

This survey, conducted by Quest Market Intelligence, was carried out between 16 and 24 December 2025 among a sample of 600 people representative of the resident population according to gender, age and nationality.

(This article was first published on Virgule. AI translated, with editing and adaptation by Lucrezia Reale.)