Interview: Minister Claude Meisch Discusses Education, Housing 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 Claude Meisch, Luxembourg’s Minister of Education, Children and Youth and Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning.

 

 

Minister Claude Meisch: Adapting our education system to changes in society, to offer every child, young person and adult the best possible opportunities to fully integrate into today's and tomorrow's society, remains a major challenge. A number of priorities therefore emerge for the education policy over the next five years: ensuring that young children have a successful start in the education system, both at school and in childcare facilities; modernising school curricula to adapt them to the demands of the 21st century; making  language learning more flexible to take better account of the diversity of the students’ needs; building an education system that takes care of young people and promotes their well-being, as well as promoting vocational training. It is also my ambition to have the education policy based on the broadest possible consensus, by involving all in an ongoing dialogue.

 

Building more homes more quickly, while speeding up the creation of public affordable housing. This is a primary objective of this government, and one that several departments will be tackling. As Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning, my focus lies on access to affordable housing. The high level of state investment for the creation of public rental housing or for sale (via leasehold with the right of repurchase for the public sector) will be maintained and increased.

 

The Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning will also continue and accelerate as far as possible, and within a clear and transparent framework, the purchase of VEFA (in the off-plan sale stage) housing projects that are currently unable to find buyers because of high interest rates and housing prices. These homes will remain in public hands and will subsequently be managed by a social landlord and let at affordable rents. It is evident to me that the housing issue can only be resolved if all stakeholders come together. This is a collective national challenge.

 

Concerning spatial planning, the emphasis lies on minimising the use of land and maximising the efficiency and sustainability of the utilised space, with a commitment to conserving natural resources for future generations.

 

Chronicle.lu: How do these ministerial roles 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) (in the case of education, how will you build on previous experience)?

 

Minister Claude Meisch: Both ministries deal with social cohesion and equal opportunities for all residents, and they are profoundly complex. My experience of ten years at the head of the Ministry of Education taught me a lot about how to make progress on complicated issues, by bringing together positions that are often very divergent and by sometimes taking difficult decisions that are necessary in the general interest. This will benefit me in my second ministerial aera of responsibility.

 

I was also mayor of a large town for more than ten years. This gave me a good understanding of housing and spatial planning matters.

 

 

Minister Claude Meisch: Adapting our education system to the evolution of society is a continuous challenge, since our population is becoming more and more diverse and we have to keep pace with the rapid changes in society and technology. Developing 21st century skills, better responding to the different needs of pupils, training and recruiting qualified staff for all sectors of education, are for instance challenges that we share with other countries. Other challenges result from our specific national context, such as the language education policy in our multilingual education system.

 

In the realm of housing, success will be gauged by a substantial rise in the availability of residences, particularly through the expansion of affordable public housing. However, it is clear that this process will require time, and that the full effect of the current housing policies will only become apparent in the coming years.

 

Improving living standards in the face of a growing population and economic expansion, especially in a country with limited available land, poses major challenges for urban and regional development. This requires a strategic approach to efficiently use limited resources while simultaneously ensuring a better quality of life.

 

 

Minister Claude Meisch: In Luxembourg, we have one big ministry which is responsible for implementing the government policy of education, childhood and youth. This allows us to focus on all aspects of child development and to bring the formal and non-formal education sectors working closely together, ensuring quality development at the same level in both areas. Moreover, we have implemented an ongoing process of exchange with all partners of the various education sectors, to listen to their concerns and get their feedback on a regular basis.

 

A better access to housing being a challenge for the entire society, the search for solutions is an opportunity to unite very opposing positions behind a common goal.

 

A major opportunity for Luxembourg in terms of territorial development lies in increased cooperation with our neighbours in the Greater Region.

 

 

Minister Claude Meisch: The government's programme includes a whole series of new measures, including three new international schools. However, it is too early to give a precise timetable. As is the case at the start of each new legislature, the first few months will foremost be devoted first to discussion and analysis, followed by the conceptualisation of projects.

 

To swiftly address the current dual crisis - that of construction and the lack of affordable housing supply - I will coordinate with under the lead of the Ministry of State a broad national dialogue involving all stakeholders in the sector. Private and public professionals, various ministries and municipalities will all be engaged in this "Housing Forum", scheduled to take place at the end of January or early February. Besides, as soon as possible, time-limited fiscal instruments supporting supply will be introduced as part of the implemented measures.

 

Chronicle.lu: With two big portfolios to your name, how do you best divide your time between education and housing? What does a typical week look like for you?

 

Minister Claude Meisch: These are two big portfolios indeed, both equally important. I don't think that my weekly schedule is very different from that of other ministers: government meetings, parliamentary sessions, consultations with the teams from the two ministries, etc. For both areas, I can rely on competent and dedicated teams, and I am building partly on continuity. Moreover, it is important for me to go on site to meet people, to see what challenges they face and to hear their points of view. Regarding housing, I also do a lot of reading and engage into broad exchange.

 

 

Minister Claude Meisch: The end of the year often allows us to take time to reflect on the past year and to prepare for the coming one. We are going through times of great uncertainty which are challenging to all of us. It can be helpful to pause for a moment and to remind oneself of the positive events and the achievements that have been accomplished, at whatever level. I wish everyone peaceful and cosy holidays with family and friends, and the very best for 2024.