To our readers: the Paperjam editorial team has been mobilised on site since 1.30 pm, when the prime minister began his speech, and will continue tomorrow, Wednesday, to cover the reactions of the other political forces represented in Luxembourg’s parliament. Thank you for following us.
3.30 pm. The prime minister has finished delivering his State of the Nation speech. Thanks for staying with us through our live-blogged coverage of this much anticipated speech. We hope that you found the Paperjam team’s gleanings of interest in either English or French. We will now move towards covering any political reaction and further developments.
3.21 pm. The PM wrapped up his speech by presenting a broad range of policies aimed at strengthening our social cohesion “a policy of sticking together, that combats poverty and strengthens our social model,” he said, as he want through a long list covering poverty, growing up together, living together, being together, preserving together, creating together and standing together.
3.18 pm. Frieden mentioned the importance of a credible deterrent and improving the Luxembourg armed forces’ ability to protect the country, “through increased recruitment, more attractive conditions for military careers, and new defence capabilities.”
3.12 pm. Frieden discusses his governments’s interest in developing artificial intelligence. He mentioned his government having signed a partnership with Mistral AI, one of Europe’s leading AI firms. Soon Luxembourg ministries will get access to the LeChat AI chatbot. The government is going further with practical applications, such as an AI solution based on Legilux “that will make it easier to read, understand and even draft legislation.”
3.08 pm. The prime minister returns to the topic of self-driving cars. “Luxembourg wants to become one of Europe’s pioneers here with practical applications in logistics and on roads, and also in specialised services such as taxis and shuttle services.” He explained that the government stands ready to introduce a legal framework for private vehicles of this type.
3.03 pm. Frieden discusses his government’s new Work in Luxembourg initiative, launched by the economy and labour ministries, which will bring together, in one place, all the information related to life and work in Luxembourg.
2.58 pm. The prime minister emphasises the importance of administrative simplification and practical solutions to real problems. Key examples is the single digital identification number for businesses and procedures for setting up a business being brought into a single procedure.
2.54 pm. The Iranian war “has and will continue to have broader economic and social consequences – for inflation, growth and employment,” said Frieden, explaining that a dynamic economy is necessary to do so.
2.51 pm. Frieden declares Luxembourg’s indexation system is “not up for discussion.” He went on to say “We do not want everything we have achieved so far to be undermined by a crisis abroad.”
2.47 pm. The government wants to protect the environment and tackle climate change. But Frieden explained the most important task is the energy transition. The government, Frieden explained is proposing 50 ways to expand renewable energy, tackle climate change and increase this country’s own energy production.
2.43 pm. The government will continue to promote the Luxembourgish language with a new action plan. To explain the demand, he mentioned that “Luxembourgish language courses are fully booked, nearly two million users have relied on the Spellchecker tool to proofread their texts, and the online Luxembourgish dictionary recorded more than 14 million searches last year – the equivalent of one search every 2.2 seconds.”
2.38 pm. The government will continue the off-plan sales (Vefa) programme with additional funding of €300m, Frieden explained. He said the government will adapt prices within the Vefa acquisition programme according to regions and only partially finance projects. This will allow the government to “ unlock more projects and accelerate construction.”
2.33 pm. Frieden recalled his first State of the Nation address, where he emphasised housing. This time, he gave his government a positive mark for its accomplishments. “Seven of these measures have already been implemented or submitted to parliament,” he said. “The remaining three will follow by the end of the year.” He went on to say these measures would “fundamentally “ simplify building procedures, without sacrificing quality.
2.28 pm. The speech went on to explain what the government has in mind for improving schooling. He explained that the education ministry is exploring giving all students the option of getting literacy education in French. “Nothing is being taken away from anyone,” he said. ”Quite the contrary: we are giving many children a better chance of succeeding at school.”
2.26 pm. The prime minister announced the first reform of the pension system in 14 years. “The government is aware of its responsibility to preserve solidarity between the generations, to allow everyone to face aging with confidence, and to prepare our country for the future, beyond the next elections.”
2.20 pm. Frieden declares that his government “will never allow a healthcare system without convention.” He went on to state “We do not want a two-tier system.” He said fees will remain identical and pay for what is required and necessary.
2.17 pm. Frieden describes the “most important reform” to enter into force in 2027, as the cost-of-living supplement. “It will merge five existing benefits, including the cost-of-living allowance, the energy allowance and the new financial assistance for the retired.”
2.14 pm. Prime Minister Luc Frieden began his “together for all” speech with an image of families he’d recently encountered. “A student, who at a young age, is already winning international prizes in physics, a couple that has established three successful restaurants with hundred employees, a woman who is actively engaged in a non-profit organisation to help wheelchair users with assistance dogs. Because our nation is all of us – all of us together.”
1.30 pm. Thank you to our readers for following the State of the Nation address live. Prime Minister is due to speak at 2 pm in the Luxembourg’s parliament to deliver his address, the third of its kind since he took office. This provides an opportunity both to review the government’s achievements over the past 12 months and to outline major projects currently underway or planned for the future. Paperjam’s editorial team is gearing up to follow this speech live and report on the key announcements. It will then publish its initial analysis of the speech and, on Thursday, cover the debate session where the government and the opposition will comment on today’s announcements.
Frieden had delivered his first State of the Nation address on the theme of , social affairs, the energy transition and administrative simplification. … the issues of defence, pension reform and the fight against poverty had been highlighted.
This year, Frieden finds himself caught between stagnating growth, , an energy crisis that forced him to , a deterioration in , and an unpredictable international situation.
How can we avoid all these pitfalls? The biggest question is whether or not the government will stick to its fiscal course. A government that wants to . The opposition will be targeting the tax reform, which is set to result in a tax shortfall of between €800m and €900m a year. A tax shortfall that is causing concern for the , and the . Frieden is also expected to appear at and growth. Will the energy crisis be raised, or will the prime minister seek to avoid giving participants the impression that decisions have already been made?