Interview: Minister Max Hahn Outlines Refugee Reception, Family Policy Priorities

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 Max Hahn, Luxembourg's Minister for Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together and Reception.

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 Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together and Reception?

Minister Max Hahn: Luxembourg, just like Europe, is facing a big challenge regarding the reception of refugees. Wars, conflicts and crises in the world ensure that more and more people are leaving their homelands and have to seek protection in other places. Luxembourg also recently had to unfortunately go down the route of giving priority to the most vulnerable refugees before others. The structures and beds for people who arrive here in Luxembourg are in fact currently saturated. One of my priorities is that together with all our partners and the municipalities, we look at how we can tackle this challenge concretely and find solutions so that people who seek protection from us can also receive it in appropriate circumstances.

With the conflicts in the world, the energy and food prices have also risen enormously. The last government reacted immediately and, with the energy price cap, ensured that life does not become unaffordable for people. But many people live in precarious situations or risk slipping into them. The fight against poverty is therefore an absolute priority for the government in which I am the responsible minister. We focus above all on supporting households with a low income, households in precarious situations or those who are poor, but also people who are at risk of being socially excluded.

In Luxembourg, about 47% of the population are non-Luxembourgish, to which more than 210,000 cross-border workers are added every day. Our role is to enable a harmonious coexistence for all the people who live or work here. A harmonious coexistence is the backbone of a well-functioning society. Therefore, another big priority for me is the implementation of the new law of intercultural living together, as of January 2024.

Chronicle.lu: How does this ministerial role compare to / differ from your previous (government) position(s)? In what way(s) do you feel your previous position(s) and experience can contribute to / be of use in your new role(s) (how will you build on your previous experience as Family Affairs Minister)?

Minister Max Hahn: From every stage of life, one learns for what comes next. Before I took over the Family Ministry from my predecessor in June this year, I was president of the family committee in the Chamber of Deputies [parliament], so I already knew the files of the Family Ministry well and this made the start of my new role as minister significantly easier.

My experiences, which I have been able to gather over many years at the municipal level, are also helpful in my daily work in the ministry. It is often said that municipal politics and national politics work very differently. I can say, however, that it is important to understand the needs of the municipalities, concretely on the ground, and how they function, in order to be able to work together effectively on a large scale.

As minister, it is important for me to be close to the people. That's why I continue to go out a lot, listen to people, talk to them, and this exchange also makes our work in the ministry richer.

Chronicle.lu: What do you see as the (three) biggest challenges currently facing Luxembourg in relation to your portfolio(s) 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 Max Hahn: The international situation is currently extremely tense, which also has repercussions on Europe and Luxembourg. I have already mentioned the refugee policy challenge and would say that this is one of our biggest challenges in this country - just as it is also a challenge in other European countries.

I am currently travelling a lot in the field and in exchanges with our partners we are trying to find solutions for the current situation together. The need for beds and structures is being checked and places are being looked for across the whole country that could be considered for further projects. Only through such monitoring and a good exchange and cooperation with our partners and with the municipalities can we guarantee that there are enough beds and places to offer people.

I have already mentioned this challenge as well: many people have problems making ends meet at the end of the month due to the high energy, food and housing prices and are worried about their future and that of their children. The government has set itself a very ambitious coalition programme, which is important to implement consistently and decisively over the coming months and years. This includes national action plans, as well as very concrete adaptations of existing aid schemes, for example. This multi-faceted challenge can only be tackled and mastered in cooperation with all actors under the leadership of the government.

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 Max Hahn: To name just a few: there is enormous potential in volunteering. There are so many people who are willing to commit themselves [to volunteering] and, on the other hand, there is a large offer of commitments for which volunteers are sought. We have to bring the two - supply and demand - together.

In the field of senior citizens and inclusion, we have launched many projects in recent months from which those people can benefit in the future. The accessibility law of public buildings and places should be quickly implemented in order to improve the quality of life of people with specific needs - but not only theirs. Active ageing must continue to be well supported, so that people can live an autonomous life as long and as well as possible. But of course, we also think of older people who, due to various circumstances, can no longer be as active and mobile. There must also be offers and possibilities for them to be able to continue to participate in social life and thus minimise the risk of isolation. And with that I come back to volunteering. This can have a great effect here by creating offers to accompany the older population but also to get active themselves. The same applies to the different social areas, where engagement can take place on many levels.

All these measures have something in common: they should permanently improve the quality of life of people, regardless of their age or personal situation - that is our goal.

Chronicle.lu: Please explain the significance of your ministry's (new) name / your updated / expanded portfolio, which now includes "solidarity", "living together" and "reception".

Minister Max Hahn: The name of the "Ministère de la Famille, des Solidarités, du Vivre ensemble et de l'Accueil" [Ministry of Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together and Reception] again reflects what constitutes Luxembourg and its society. The strength of a country is often measured by its economy, but [its] strength […] also includes the social climate and how we interact with each other. For social cohesion and the strengthening of democracy in this country, we need a harmonious, solidary and inclusive coexistence, a strong family policy that unites all generations and a policy that does not forget people who live on the fringes of our society or are new to the country.

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 Max Hahn: Every year, we spend Christmas Day in our family circle. In addition to the celebration at home, I also volunteer at Stëmm vun der Strooss’ "Noël de la Rue". This initiative ensures that even the people who live on the fringes of society can get not only a meal and a warm place, but also a nice party in the company of others. [Stëmm vun der Strooss], as well as other organisations that are there for the poorest and most vulnerable in our society, work with a lot of volunteers. For 2024, I wish that we would all sometimes give a little of our time to others and take an active part in the solidarity and "living together" that make us Luxembourg. I wish for strong cohesion in our society and in Europe - this is no longer evident in [current] times and is therefore very important.