Interview: Minister Eric Thill Discusses Culture, Tourism Priorities

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 Eric Thill, Luxembourg’s Minister of Culture and Minister Delegate for Tourism.

 

 

Minister Eric Thill: For now, my entire focus is set on listening: listening to my teams, get an inside into the work that is being carried out by them on the daily, but mostly listening to the people working on the ground. What are their challenges, their needs, their hopes? Their feedback matters much to me, they will become an integral part guiding my priorities for the years to come.

 

 

Minister Eric Thill: Being a mayor has taught me a lot, especially when it comes to working with people towards a common goal and bringing everyone together around a table. I always saw my role as being really hands-on and I never wanted to lose touch with the people I am here to serve. I like to be close to the people I work for. I think that role prepared me perfectly for this new challenge ahead and I plan on continuing doing things my way.

 

Chronicle.lu: What do you see as the (three) biggest challenges currently facing Luxembourg in relation to your portfolios (notably regarding culture) 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 Eric Thill: We are lucky to have a very creative and thriving cultural scene in Luxembourg. However, it is also a very vulnerable sector that is not immune to current economic challenges, such as the rising cost of living or the difficult housing market, all factors that have all been amplified by recent events like the pandemic or the energy crisis. Therefore, we need to continue investing into the professionalisation of our national scene, make it stronger and more resilient.

 

Culture can be a powerful tool for social cohesion, integration and inclusion, if you give people access to it. There is still a divide between the amazingly diverse cultural offer in Luxembourg and parts of our population, whose habits or socio-demographic factors prevent them from participating in said offer and reaping the benefits of cultural immersion. We need to close the gap by engaging the public and encouraging grassroots and local efforts to give everyone access to culture wherever they're located and whatever their background, abilities and passions may be.

 

The preservation of our heritage and our heritage sites is a fundamental part of our identity. Currently, the housing market is exerting a great deal of pressure on our architectural heritage and the shortage of affordable housing and rental accommodation is one of the main challenges facing Luxembourg. I am convinced that we can find solutions that allow for the healthy and necessary development of housing possibilities, while also preserving and promoting our national heritage and identity. While I will be seeking dialogue with the parties concerned, we will also be evaluating the implementation of the law of 25 February 2022 on cultural heritage.

 

I will be facing these challenges by working together with all the people on the ground, listening to their concerns and ideas. Since its conception in 2018, the Kulturentwécklungsplang 2018-2028 (KEP) has been the compass for cultural policy in Luxembourg, rightly so, since its 62 recommendations have been elaborated through dialogue with the cultural sector. Currently, its completion rate sits at 60%. We strive to make it 100% and pave the way for the KEP 2.0 leading from 2028 to 2038.

 

Chronicle.lu: What are the (three) biggest opportunities for Luxembourg in relation to your portfolios (notably regarding culture) and how will your ministry leverage these opportunities, particularly in the coming months? Do you plan to work closely with the cultural sector, for example, and if so, how?

 

Minister Eric Thill: I believe the biggest asset Luxembourg has as a country is that we have always been open: open to new ideas, open to new cultures, open to doing things differently, while always staying true to our values and to who we are as a people. I plan on playing my part in this, by giving new impulses where needed, but also helping in shining a light on the many, many great projects and initiatives that are already being carried out. So, in short, I want to build on the existing opportunities this country already holds, but I already have a couple of ideas in mind on my own. Finding new ways of promoting our rich cultural heritage in general is one example, further developing and showcasing the cultural dimension of our memory and remembrance more specifically is another one. These are both themes that I hold very dear to my heart and that I wish to drive forward together, of course, with the actors of the respective sectors.

 

Chronicle.lu: With more than one portfolio to your name, how do you best divide your time between them? What does a typical week look like for you?

 

Minister Eric Thill: It's actually surprisingly easy: when I am needed somewhere as the minister of culture, then I am the minister of culture to a hundred percent and the same counts for tourism. It helps that there are synergies in the cultural and tourism sectors that can and should be further developed. It sometimes makes things easier if you have both the minister for culture and the minister for tourism sitting at the same table, at the same time. I like to work and to work hard. I'm always giving it my all and I am good at juggling many plates at once.

 

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 Eric Thill: Having run in both the local and the national elections next to being mayor and president of the DP in the North, the last couple of weeks, months and years were thrilling, but also very busy. This means that my family, friends and loved ones often got the short side of the stick and didn't see much of me, unfortunately. So I am really, really looking forward to spending some proper quality time with them over this Christmas period and sending off the new year together. As far as my new year resolutions for the next year go, they were - as probably for many - to spend less time on my phone and to put my running shoes back on more often, but I have an inkling of a feeling that those will have to wait for another year or two.