Differdange Mayor Resigns, Environment Minister Accused of Involvement in Summer House Controversy

The Green Party's (déi Gréng) Roberto Traversini has officially stepped down from his positions as Mayor of Differdange, President of the CIGL (centre for initiative and local management) Differdange and Member of Parliament amid controversy surrounding the construction of a summer house on a protected site.

The Traversini affair began last month when members of Luxembourg's main political parties accused the former Differdange mayor of having built his summer house on a nature reserve and without proper authorisation. In addition to resigning from his various positions, Roberto Traversini has apologised for his actions.

The controversy continues, however, with Luxembourg's Minister of the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development and fellow déi Gréng politician, Carole Dieschbourg, being accused of misconduct in the affair. As the minister responsible for Traversini's file, she granted authorisation for the construction in August 2019. This decision has led to accusations, from both within déi Gréng and from the opposition, of preferential treatment, as well as claims that Minister Dieschbourg had not looked at the application in detail before granting planning permission. 

In response to these accusations, Carole Dieschbourg has argued that Traversini's file was treated like any other. She added that the authorisation procedure had been followed correctly and thus maintained that the granting of a building permit was legal.