Minister Leon Gloden;
Credit: © SIP / Claude Piscitelli
Following the legislative elections of 8 October 2023 and several weeks of coalition talks, the new CSV-DP coalition government of Luxembourg was sworn in on 17 November 2023.
Chronicle.lu reached out to the new members of the Luxembourg government to learn about their priorities one month on, as well as the challenges and opportunities facing their particular sector(s) - and how they will spend the end-of-year holiday period.
Next up was Léon Gloden, Luxembourg’s Minister for Home Affairs.
Chronicle.lu: The new government was sworn in on 17 November 2023. One month on, what are your top three / main priorities as Luxembourg’s Minister for Home Affairs?
Minister Léon Gloden: One overarching priority of this government will be to simplify procedures, which I will implement for procedures concerning the exchange between government authorities and municipalities, as well as within administrations wherever possible, and to introduce the principle of “once only”.
Another priority [is] all the initiatives we will take to improve security in Luxembourg, by implementing decisions and other preventive measures. In this context, the recruitment of more policemen and the creation of a local police unit within the police are important steps forward.
Chronicle.lu: How does this ministerial role compare to / differ from your previous position(s), notably as Mayor of Grevenmacher? In what way(s) do you feel your previous position(s) and experience can contribute to / be of use in your new government role?
Minister Léon Gloden: It is a huge advantage as Minister of Home Affairs to have been a mayor these past years. As former mayor, I know the challenges municipalities have to face and where unnecessary red tape blocks their initiatives. As mayor, I was already used to leading an administration. And as mayor, I focused on projects in my former municipality. Now, I am responsible for setting the framework for all municipalities.
Chronicle.lu: What do you see as the (three) biggest challenges currently facing Luxembourg in relation to your portfolio(s), e.g. regarding internal security, and how does your ministry plan to overcome / address them, particularly in the coming months? How will you measure the success of these initiatives (e.g. metrics)?
Minister Léon Gloden: The recruitment of more policemen will be a clear-cut metric we can measure, the number of days we manage to shorten procedures to as well. For other goals, metrics might be more difficult to determine. But overall, we have given ourselves in the ministry of Home Affairs a clear goal of data-driven decision making, which will allow us to measure results.
Chronicle.lu: What are the (three) biggest opportunities for Luxembourg in relation to your portfolio(s) and how will your ministry leverage these opportunities, particularly in the coming months?
Minister Léon Gloden: Our 100 municipalities can be a real partner in the context of the housing crisis and in the management of climate change and environmental calamities.
Chronicle.lu: Following on from this, what changes can the people of Luxembourg expect to see in (early) 2024 in relation to your portfolio(s), notably regarding the planned introduction of a municipal police force?
Minister Léon Gloden: In 2024, I will focus on some key initiatives to improve security in Luxembourg, e.g. the introduction of a real expulsion order and a legal framework for the right to demonstrate. We have also begun analysing opportunities for simplifying procedures, where first results will also be noticeable in 2024.
Chronicle.lu: Moving away from politics, what are some traditions or activities (if any) you (will) enjoy during the end-of-year (Christmas and New Year) holiday period? Any New Year's plans or resolutions you could share with our readers - or another message as 2023 draws to a close?
Minister Léon Gloden: I will spend the holiday season with my family and friends, and will visit a few Christmas markets. An important yearly tradition is decorating the Christmas tree with my family. As for new year resolutions: I stopped making those, as I never manage to keep them anyways… just keep on running.
