Stéphanie Weydert Resigns as President of Caritas Parliamentary Committee

On Tuesday 28 January 2025, Luxembourg MP Stéphanie Weydert of the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) announced her resignation from her responsibilities as President and member of the parliamentary committee dedicated to the Caritas affair.

Stéphanie Weydert shared in a press release that she had contacted the Chamber of Deputies' advisory committee on the conduct of MPs, as well as the President of the Luxembourg Bar, on 9 January 2025, in order to get opinions on the question of a possible conflict of interest due to her position on the Caritas parliamentary committee on the one hand and her position as a non-active lawyer on the other. She said this followed criticisms made to this effect by the Fondation Caritas Luxembourg and Caritas Accueil et Solidarité.

In response, the President of the Luxembourg Bar is said to have indicated he was not competent to rule on this question, as his arbitration function is limited to disputes between lawyers in the exercise of their profession. For its part, the Chamber of Deputies' advisory committee concluded that there was "an ambiguity, within the meaning of Article 3 of the Code of Conduct for Luxembourg Members of Parliament in matters of financial interests and conflicts of interest" (according to Ms Weydert's statement), regarding the exercise of the MP's parliamentary mandate as President and member of the Caritas parliamentary committee in relation to her status as a non-active lawyer, but still being registered with a law firm responsible for defending the interests of a party involved in the case.

Stéphanie Weydert added that the advisory committee stated in its response that "in the minds of voters, a link is likely to be established between your function as President and member of the Special Committee and the role assumed by the law firm as advisor to an actor in the course of the events, the subject of the work of this Special Committee".

"Even in the absence of a conflict of interest in the legal sense," said Ms Weydert, "I consider that the mere ambiguity that may arise in the minds of citizens could constitute a risk for the smooth running of the work of the Special Committee. This could also affect citizens’ trust in this Special Committee and, more broadly, in the parliamentary institution itself. Consequently, I have taken the decision to resign with immediate effect from my duties as President and member of the 'Caritas' Special Committee".

The news follows recent reports that Marc Crochet has resigned from the position of Director General of Caritas.