Speech on the state of the nation 2021 navigation menu

Mister President,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It's a pleasure to find yourself again here in KrautmaArt.The room is back at home, where the history of our parliamentary democracy has been written since 1860.

Although our country has been in an exceptional state for a year and a half, Parliament has never stopped working.Throughout the pandemic, you have assumed your responsibility.The way we have managed this crisis together is, so to speak, unique in Europe.

In Luxembourg, the virus did not kneel democracy on. C'est pourquoi je tiens à vous témoigner, Mister President, tout mon respect et ma preads grande reconnaissance, en lieu et place de tous les députés et de l'ensemble des personnes qui travaillent à la Chambre.

I would also like to thank the city of Luxembourg, which for long months made available to the room its premises of the circle, thus ensuring the maintenance of the democratic debate in a worthy setting.

Our presence today in this place is an important symbol.The symbol of normality found after weeks and months of fierce struggle.

The path traveled in recent months has been very trying.

Luxembourg also has victims to deplore.The virus has dug voids in our ranks.COVID-19 has torn people from life, dear beings who we are missing a lot.Grandparents, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, friends, colleagues or neighbors.

On this day, I would also like to think of all those people who have left us forever.I think of their families, their friends, their entourage.We cannot forget them, and they will never be.

The pandemic seems to be coming to an end.But the course is not yet completely crossed.In my speech, I will of course come back to the events of the last 19 months.It is important that today we are having a first provisional assessment of the pandemic and the management of the crisis.

When I see where we are today, we must in no case relax the effort.We have already had to make too many sacrifices.The soreadtions exist, and I will also approach in my speech the way the government plans to get out of the pandemic.

An outing strategy that will not go back, but a step forward.

Now that the race against the virus seems to be won, it is time to prepare the day after the pandemic.

The great challenges of our time have not been volatilized in recent months.

On the contrary.Faced with climate change, the rise in housing costs and social problems, the situation is more and more urgent.

But beyond that, the coronavirus has changed our lives in a sustainable way.It's up to us to learn the right lessons from the pandemic.It is up to us to find the way in which we want to shape our society after the crisis.

I think for example of the balance between private and professional life.

But I also think of digitization and its considerable impact on our daily life.

If we want to hold the heart of the dazzling social developments in recent years and take up the great challenges of our time, we have to take new paths.Yes, we must enter the momentum and the commitment of the last months.Because we have seen what we are capable of when we collectively commit to a cause.

We, Luxembourg, have always been able to get stronger in a crisis.

Because we are not inert.Because we dare to innovate.Because we seize the opportunities that present themselves to us.It is all these characteristics that distinguish the "Luxembourg model".

The "Luxembourg model" is an example of success.It is the story of a country that has acquired an extraordinary economic, political and social stability.

This is the history of a country where prosperity and quality of life benefit the population.

But it is also the story of a country, where we bet on dialogue rather than working against each other.Effective social dialogue is the guarantor of social peace.When necessary, we squeeze our elbows.

In the future we want to further focus on citizen participation.We want to do politics with the people.Because in the end, it always concerns the people.This is our common future.

The great challenges of our time cannot be considered separately.The fight against climate change, digitization, housing and social policy are inevitably linked.

We cannot carry out an effective environmental strategy, without implementing a fair social policy, aimed at protecting citizens from the important financial consequences caused by the climate crisis.

Digitization offers us many possibilities, but it is also a source of challenges.The world of work may undergo significant transformations in the coming years.We must not forget anyone along the way.

Housing also plays an important role in environmental policy.But currently, the accommodation is above all an excreadsion factor.

Today's policy poses the milestones for tomorrow.Today we decide how we want to live in 10, 20, 30 years.

We decide today from the planet that we will leave to future generations.

The path we have to go is long.But time is running out.We have to take up all these challenges now, before it is too late.

The latest report of the Intergovernmental Experts Group on the Evoreadtion of the Climate leaves no room for doubt.

The climate crisis is real.She concerns us all.Not in 100 years, nor at the other end of the world, but here and now.Even in Luxembourg.

In July, large parts of the country were underwater.Due to climate change, we are now faced from year to year with the risk of floods and floods.These are no longer "century" disasters, because unfortunately they occur too regularly.

It is enough to observe the events of the last five years to realize the scale of the climate crisis and its impact on Luxembourg.

The fact that all these disasters did not victims in Luxembourg are a miracle.And yet the damage is enormous.I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our rescue services and all the people who have been solidarity.

It is the individual spells of the victims that take me when I go to the scene.People who, in the space of a few hours, lose all their existence.

We do our best to support them financially.But these are the emotional damage that we cannot repair.Precious memories, destroyed forever.What's left is fear.Fear of the next disaster.

I remember a conversation with a young mother from Larochette, a locality who has already been touched several times by violent rains and floods.She told me that her children are afraid as soon as he rains more abundantly.At their young age, they associate rain with distress and suffering that they have already experienced twice.

We can no longer change the past.This is why it is all the more important to do everything to that in the future climate change is not a source of even more suffering.

We do not have the choice.We have to achieve our climatic goals.And the way to get there is clear.

First: we have to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions to slow global warming.

Second: we have to invest massively in the research and development of new and innovative technologies, which will make it possible to stop long -term climate change.

Third: we must take preventive measures against the harmful effects that global warming already causes.

The goal is clear.Science tells us that we must be climinically neutral by 2050 to limit global warming to 2 degrees, better still at 1.5 degrees.Luxembourg has set ambitious goals.We want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030.

2030 is a key step for humanity.If by then, we cannot massively reduce our CO2 emissions, we risk reaching irreversible rocking points.

The melting of the ice creams with the poles constitutes such a rocking point.It would lead to the sea level of several meters, flooding immense areas near the sea.We are talking about a massive loss of habitat for humans, fauna and flora.

We therefore have less than 10 years left to achieve this goal that we are imposing ourselves by 2030.Luxembourg is ready to assume its responsibility.

And we have already obtained significant results.

Over the past 5 years, for example, we have managed to double our renewable energy production.Last year, we were able to achieve our 11% goal in renewable energies compared to total energy consumption in Luxembourg.In 2020, and for the first time in our history, we were able to cover the energy needs of all households in Luxembourg by means of renewable energy sources.

Experts confirm that the development of renewable energies is one of the main pillars of an effective environmental strategy.However, Luxembourg is currently dependent on foreign energy sources.The development of renewable energies will thus not only protect the climate, but also to strengthen our autonomy in terms of energy supply.

With the current increase in gas prices, we grasp more than ever the importance of an energy supply mainly from national sources.The price increase is caused by a geopolitical context on which we have no infreadence.We must observe this price development and will not fail to support households disadvantaged by concrete measures, so that they do not fall into energy precariousness.I will come back to this point later.

The sun and the wind are the main vectors of sustainable electricity production in Luxembourg.Today, we produce three times more wind energy than five years ago.And the energy we draw from the sun also increases from year to year.Solar systems installed on hangars are very successful.This success is also based on our decision of the year to offer attractive rates for these facilities.

To be able to achieve our 25 % goal in terms of renewable energies by 2030, we must mobilize even more areas, especially on existing building roofs, such as offices, schools or parking lots.Solar energy projects can also be interesting for private investors, on private property or cooperative roofs.

In addition to the efforts made in Luxembourg, we also want to invest in projects abroad.Luxembourg thus wants to invest in offshore wind farms in Denmark and Belgium.

Luxembourg also relies on alternative energy sources such as biogas and hydrogen.

After the presentation of our hydrogen strategy a few weeks ago, we will also present a roadmap concerning the production of biogas.

The expansion of renewable energies is all the more necessary since energy needs will not cease to grow in the future.

Besides that, it is essential that we also save energy wherever possible.We set ourselves with the aim of increasing, by 2030, our energy efficiency by 40 to 44% compared to the 2007 reference year.In Luxembourg, the areas of mobility, industry and housing consume the most energy.

More and more residents wish to carry out an energy renovation of their house.As part of the "Neistart lëtzebuerg" recovery plan, we have introduced a subsidy bonus for energy renovations.From 2022, we will further simplify the subsidy regime, so that renovation work can be deployed more effectively.

Mobility concerns us all on a daily basis.Quickly move from A to B, preferably at a lower cost, in a comfortable and ecological way at the same time, this is our goal.Efficient and efficient public transport is part of the soreadtion to achieve this.

In March 2020, we were the first country in the world to offer free public transport.We are also one of the countries to invest the most in the development of public transport.In the sole field of the expansion of the rail network, for example, we are currently occupying first place in Europe, with an investment of 567 euros per person per person.

These investments are notably devoted to the extension of the railway line between Luxembourg and Bettembourg, as well as to the parking lots of Rodange, Mersch, Ettelbruck, Troisvierges and Wasserbillig.We also ordered 34 new trains, which will be delivered between 2023 and 2025.This investment allows us to increase the overall capacity of our rail network by 43%.

The tram now connects the Kirchberg to the central station.The work in the direction of Bonnevoie, Howald and Golden Bell is full.

In addition to the massive expansion of public transport, the government is also investing in the field of soft mobility.Since 2015, we have expanded the 92.5 km cycle path network.It currently has 640 km.In the coming years, 460 km of cycle paths will be added.The bonuses for bikes, "Pedelecs" and e-bikes were doubled at 600 euros.To date, the Ministry of the Environment has received more than 50.000 requests in this context.This proves the success of this measure.

The car will not disappear from Luxembourg in the future.Even if we strive to optimize public transport and gentle mobility offers, we are aware that many people are dependent on their car in Luxembourg.This is why we must design alternatives to combustion engines that are both affordable and respectful of the environment.

More and more citizens opt for an electric car.With hybrid vehicles, they now represent almost 20% of new registrations.This is explained on the one hand by state premiums that we have increased to 8.000 euros in our recovery plan.On the other hand, the offer in efficient and affordable electric cars continues to increase.

A third factor responsible for the success of electric cars lies in our network of charging stations.In this context, Luxembourg has nothing to envy to other countries.We occupy second place in Europe in terms of charging infrastructure per square kilometer.And we continue to invest in this area, in particular with the installation of 88 fast charge stations.

Nothing in June of this year, some 267.000 kilowatts of green electricity have been recharged in public charging stations.This corresponds to approximately 1.6 million kilometers which were traversed thanks to the electric.

Our subsidy for private charging stations also meet a great success.The government is also currently developing a subsidy program for charging stations in the workplace.This plan should be launched early next year.

The government will also invest in a more efficient and safer road infrastructure.Bypassing planned in Hosingen, Dippach and Bascharage will reduce automobile traffic, while improving the quality of life and safety of the residents concerned.

Our economy, and in particular our industry, are very energy consuming.The government wishes to support them in their ecological transition.

Industry is ready to contribute to the soreadtion of the problem.I visited two large industries in the south of the country specializing in glass and cement.They already ilreadstrate exemplary how the energy transition can be carried out in the industrial sector.They modernize their production processes and emit less CO2, while contributing to the maintenance of employment in Luxembourg.

We need many other initiatives to achieve our climatic goals.We need a climatic pact for companies.The government is currently working to set up a new aid program, in order to make companies - small or large - concern for the environment, but also the expertise and logistical means available for the environment.get there.

We will further strengthen our innovation and research efforts for technologies that are more respectful of the climate.For this reason, the Government has retained the field of sustainable and responsible development as one of the four major research priorities.A fourth interdisciplinary pole, which will focus on sustainable development, will be created at the University of Luxembourg.

The state has a pioneer role in the war against climate change.He must have an example and show citizens and businesses the way to climate neutrality.

The state and its services must take the next step and accelerate their efforts.There are still too many public buildings which have not been energetically sanitized.There are still too many public buildings on which we have not installed photovoltaic panels.

At the same time, isolated procedures slow down private climate initiatives.The government will therefore set up an inter -ministerial working group, which will be responsible for reviewing state procedures regarding unnecessary brakes on climate protection.The aim of this working group is to draw up a catalog of measures that allow us to speed up environmental policy.

A concrete measure increaddes, for example, the implementation of a one -stop shop as the only reception point, in order to considerably simplify the approval procedures for energy projects.

As the first European country, the government also wishes to introduce sustainability control for future legislative and regulatory texts.We are finalizing this instrument, which will allow us to make our own laws more sustainable.

We are a relatively small country.Luxembourg only contributes to a fraction of global CO2 emissions.We alone, we will not be able to stop the climate crisis.But that should not be an excuse not to make our contribution to the global soreadtion and also be pioneers in this field.

The global climate conference in Glasgow in November is a pilot stage.Luxembourg is ready to assume more responsibilities.But Luxembourg also demands from the international community a more committed and united approach to the climate crisis.We can only gain the fight against climate change as a united world.

We hope that the global climate conference will provide us with concrete soreadtions for more efficient climate protection worldwide.The World Climate Conference is also a very symbolic event.The world, and in particular the young generations, observe us.

We cannot demand that citizens change their habits if we, as a state, do not give a good example.

I will therefore propose to the Council of Government that government missions abroad be now offset in CO2.We are in the process of setting up a system allowing services to count the consumption of CO2 of their journeys over an entire year.From 2023, the budget will provide for the amount necessary for CO2 consumption to compensate for the previous year.

This money will also be paid into the climate fund in order to accelerate climate protection efforts here in Luxembourg.

Our energy and climate plan also provides for a number of concrete measures, which we want to quickly implement.We are not limited to talking about climate policy, we take action.

Above all, we want to encourage people to live a low impact life on the environment.We have therefore set up a whole range of subsidies, whether in mobility, housing or renewable energies.

All these premiums will be extended before the end of the year and even in certain cases made even more attractive.

Mister President, Ladies and gentlemen,

It is indisputable that we need additional climatic measures.This is what experts from the World Climate Council clearly tell us.

But we will only reach a coherent climate policy if we have the support of a majority of the company.

Politics must listen to citizens.This also applies to people who still wonder about the concrete effects that climate protection can have on their lives.

More than ever, we need a social consensus on how we want to face the climate crisis together.We must not let ourselves go against each other.We must not allow the ditch to widen between us.Because we are all housed in the same brand.

Climate policy concerns us all.Because she touches us all at the heart of our living together.How do we want in the future?What kind of planet do we want to leave for future generations?The climate question is a question with a social issue.

This is why we also need the company at the negotiating table when we discuss additional climatic measures.

Extraordinary situations require exceptional measures.The time is for an innovative democratic project that has not yet taken place in Luxembourg in this form.It is time to put the company at the climate policy negotiations table.

I therefore wish to summon a citizen office for the climate.This citizen council will be made up of a hundred members who represent Luxembourg's demographic reality and thus the population.

With the support of experts, these 100 citizens will discuss specific climatic problems.We know exactly our goal.Climate experts clearly show us how we can face the climate crisis.It is now a question of engaging together on this path, without endangering social cohesion.

This is precisely the task of the Citizen's Office for the Climate.We focus on cohesion.

The starting point for discussions within the Citizen Council is the national energy and climate plan, which already provides for an ambitious set of objectives and measures.The 100 citizens will have to deliberate how far they wish to go beyond this plan on the climate.

In the coming weeks, the government will write a project and present the details of the climate citizen office.

It is clear to me that the proposals of the Citizen Council for the Climate must become the full object of a debate in the House.

We have often followed our own path in our country.We took advantage of the crises to adapt and create new opportunities.

The climate crisis concerns us all.It is therefore time again to find our own path.I am convinced that the climate citizen's office can trace this path.

We must not make ilreadsions.We cannot save the planet at zero cost.Luxembourg is investing more than a billion euros in climate protection each year.Doing nothing, will end up cost us much more expensive.

The government will also continue to invest in the prevention of weather disasters in order to limit future damage.

The fight against climate change is one of the greatest challenges that humanity has never known.But together we can do.

We can only overcome this crisis if we move forward together.

It also means that we will not leave anyone aside.The climate crisis should not turn into a social crisis.We will take targeted measures for those who most need our help.Just as we have already done during the coronavirus crisis, where we prevented the pandemic from turning into a social crisis.

At the very beginning of the pandemic, I made a promise to the citizens.I promised that we would not let anyone fall.We held this promise.

The government did not hesitate and quickly decided to provide financial assistance to people and businesses in need.

The resources of thousands of people in Luxembourg were in danger.We showed solidarity during the crisis.

It was one of our priorities to secure jobs in Luxembourg.Work is the best way against poverty.

The government has paid more than a billion euros in partial unemployment to companies.After deduction of refundable advances, there remains the impressive amount of 791 million euros that the State has invested in order to secure tens of thousands of jobs.

To date, the state has paid more than half a billion euros in business and self-employed aids who have experienced difficulties during the pandemic.This money also allowed most Luxembourgers to have been able to maintain their paid job during the pandemic.

Our unemployment rate of 5.5 % is today almost at the same level as before the pandemic.In almost no other member state of the EU, the labor market has not stabilized as quickly as in Luxembourg.

Unemployed or low -income people were particularly vulnerable during the crisis.The government therefore responded with very concrete temporary measures to help these people.

For the year 2020, we have doubled the expensive life allowance.We frozen the rents in the middle of the pandemic, in order to prevent the tenants from having to pay even more for their accommodation during the crisis.Partial unemployment, which is in principle capped at 80 % of the salary, has 100 % compensated employees with the minimum social salary.

Our economy is growing again.After a drop in our GDP by 1.8 % in 2020, forecasts for this year announce growth of 6 %.

These figures are exceptionally good, especially in international comparison.These figures are proof of the success of our stabilization and recovery plan.

An austerity plan would be the wrong option at the moment.This is why I say here clearly and unequivocal: with this government, there will be no austerity policy and no tax increase. On the contrary, ce gouvernement poursuivra une politique basée sur l'investissement, l'innovation et un environnement fiscal stable.

We will need enormous new investments in the years to come if we want to maintain our quality of life.Next year, public investments will reach 3.2 billion euros and increase to 3.6 billion euros by 2025.

It is only with constantly high investments that we can guarantee a good and viable future for all our citizens.

It is also true that Luxembourg can afford these investments, as is the aid program during the crisis, because public finances have been restructured sustainably since 2013.

For the entire period 2013-2019, we recorded a surpreads in public administration.In 2018, and for the first time in almost 10 years, we even had a surpreads in central administration.With COVID, which is an exceptional event that required exceptional measures, we also experienced an exceptional deficit in 2020.More specifically, 3.2 billion euros.This year already, we will reduce this deficit by more than half, and we will continue to reduce it next year.

But we can afford this deficit.Luxembourg is the country of the euro zone whose public debt compared to GDP increased the least during the crisis.And this, despite the fact that our aid was among the most generous throughout Europe.

Luxembourg continues to have a public debt among the lowest in the euro zone.The debt will stabilize in the years to come around 27 % of GDP, that is to say below the ambitious limit of 30 % that we set ourselves, and well below the 60 % that the European regulations provide.

Thanks to ambitious fiscal policy and high investment level, we will once again write black figures, without entering new taxes.

Luxembourg is dependent on the confidence of international investors towards the solvency of our country.This is why I am extremely proud that, even in these times of crisis, Luxembourg was able to defend its triple A with all the rating agencies.

We also need a strong economy, which creates jobs and generates new income.

We will continue to diversify our economy and strengthen our businesses in order to maintain stable jobs

With its recovery plan, the government has emphasized a digital and sustainable economy.We want to continue on this path and reposition our economy in order to prepare it for the challenges of tomorrow.

We are committed to consistently implementing our long -term strategy, without losing sight of the short and medium term challenges we face.

Our economy of tomorrow should be based on several more stable pillars, as is the case today.

We will continue to prepare the financial center for the future by continuing our efforts in terms of sustainable financial products.

The Luxembourg Verte Stock Exchange rates half of the global sustainable bond market.

Our financial center constitutes the main lever of Luxembourg to combat climate change on a global scale.Sustainable funds make it possible to finance sustainable investments via Luxembourg across the world.

Industry is solidly anchored in the history of our country.In the coming years, we will also depend on a strong industry in Luxembourg.An industry that will become more digital and more sustainable.We want to be pioneers in the technologies of the future.This is why we continue to attract new innovative companies.

The government supports local businesses in their digital and sustainable processing process.We adapt our aid so that digital and sustainable investment is more attractive.We will also introduce new aids to reduce CO2 emissions from the economy and bring them back to zero in the medium term.In this context, we also launch a study on the decarbonization of the Luxembourg industry by 2040.

The circular economy is also part of our strategy to make our economy more sustainable.The government works on a study and an action plan that will help companies register in the circular economy.

Digitalization offers enormous opportunities for our country.On the one hand, it makes it possible to diversify our economy by convincing highly specialized ICT companies to set up in Luxembourg.

On the other hand, we wish to support each company, large or small, in the use of new technologies.

In recent months, our businesses have had a lot of innovation and perseverance.This period was particularly difficult for people who decided to start a new business.The government wants to support these new entrepreneurs in the future more.With primary-creator help, we support them to facilitate business creation.

We also pay particular attention to our small and medium -sized enterprises.Crafts, for example, is faced with major challenges.

The government has equipped small and medium -sized craft businesses with a helping tool tools that encourage companies to work for sustainable development.In the future, this toolbox will be extended to other sectors.

More and more companies are reaching their limits, because they do not find a suitable site to develop more.The government therefore works with the municipalities concerned at the implementation of the sectoral plan on activity zones.With the clear objective that regional activity zones can provide more space for local businesses.

The government also provides very specific offers to companies in certain sectors to set up in Luxembourg.We are going to create, for example, a Heal campus where companies in the health technology field can develop.

Mister President, Ladies and gentlemen,

Luxembourg has crossed this crisis on the economic and financial level.The figures prove it.Our unemployment rate has reached the level before the pandemic and our economy is growing again.

We managed to avoid a social crisis during the pandemic.

But that does not mean that there are no social problems in Luxembourg.

We are aware of these problems.We do not close our eyes to the big challenges we face. On the contrary.Social policy has been, is and will remain one of the main political priorities of this government.

Over the past eight years, we have made enormous efforts to combat social inequalities with financial measures and targeted benefits.These are investments in people and in our future.

In the past six years, we have increased the minimum social salary four times.

The 2017 tax reform considerably reduced small and medium income.We have spread the social tax credit and doubled it on low incomes.The government has also doubled the tax credit for single -parent.

In 2019, the government held its promise to increase the minimum wage of an additional 100 euros net and covered two -thirds of the costs by recovering the tax credit again.

We have introduced the rent grant and considerably increased the amounts of rent aid for tenants.

With the new revis, families with children and in particular the single -parent people will receive a much better help than before.

The education and training of our children should not be a readxury that only a few families can afford.With the implementation of 20 hours of child care and free school supplies, the government has once again considerably relieved families.

The implementation of free public transport relieves all those who travel by train, bus or tramway.

But we also know that we have not yet achieved the objective of completely eradicating the poverty of our country.We must therefore continue on the path of a strong social policy.

Because even today, there are still people in Luxembourg who have financial difficulties.

It is above all the high costs of housing that constitute a heavy load for many people.

Living in Luxembourg is expensive and becomes more and more expensive.This observation is not new.But he is more relevant than ever.During the pandemic, housing prices increased even more strongly than in previous years.

The high demand for housing has increased real estate prices for decades.Since then, various governments have tried to increase the supply, that is to say to build more.

Unfortunately, there is no unique soreadtion to all our housing problems.This is why the various initiatives of the various governments have their merits.

The truth is, however, that so far, no one has managed to overcome the housing problem.

But that does not mean that we must flee the problem. On the contrary.Housing is and will remain a priority for this government.We continue to work every day to create more affordable accommodation.

We focus on two main elements.

First, the State, the municipalities and the public promoters will invest massively in housing by building more housing themselves to make them available to citizens at affordable prices.

Second, we will fight against speculation with non -built land and empty accommodation.

The living space should not be a speculative object.

While an increasing number of people no longer have the means to find accommodation, others are enhanced more and more by deliberately leaving their wasteland and their non -occupied land.

Yes, there is the right to property.This right, we do not abolish it.But we empower those who, in these days, have the means to leave their land and apartments not occupied.

We will therefore tax the speculation of building land and apartments.As part of a general reform of land tax, the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of Finance, together with the Minister of Housing, develop a balanced and fair model.With this reform, we do not see the people who live in their accommodation, but those for whom the accommodation is only an object of speculation.

In order to be able to tax more heavily the unaccompanied housing in the future, we create a legal framework for the deployment of a national register listing each apartment in the country, with information whether it is busy or not.This register which will be fueled by the municipalities, will finally give us an overview of housing conditions in our country.

The government plans to table a bill on land tax reform in the next 12 months.

The purpose of this reform will be to allow greater mobilization of building land.At the same time, we wish to empower owners of unstruited land and unoccupied apartments, in order to encourage them to support the efforts of the state in the creation of affordable housing.

Our Housing Pact 2.0 is a paradigm shift in this sense.In the future, for each new PAP, a percentage of 10 to 20 % of the surface will fall into public hands and will be reserved for affordable housing.In return, private promoters will benefit from a 10 % increase in building potential in order to best use the available building land available.

It is a paradigm shift, because the state and the municipalities will finally be in possession of enough building land to have a tangible infreadence on the housing market.

In the medium and long term, public power will become the main player in the real estate market.An actor who is not eager for profit, but whose sole purpose is to guarantee citizens access to affordable housing.

Last year, we invested around 100 million euros in the creation of affordable housing.This amount will be more than doubled by 2023.

Large public housing projects in Kehlen, Wiltz, Mamer, Biwer and Dudelange are planned;They will guarantee affordable housing to thousands of people.Currently, 300 projects with more than 3.100 dwellings are in progress.By 2025, public promoters undertake to build 8.200 additional dwellings.

The Housing Pact 2.0 also empowers the municipalities.The creation of affordable housing must in the future be approached in all the municipalities, in all cities and in all villages.

With the "Baulandvertrag" (development contract), we want to provide the municipalities with an additional tool to combat land speculation.In the future, new building land will have to be built within a determined period.Otherwise, the land is new classified in a non -constructible area.This development contract helps make speculation less readcrative on building land.In parallel, the new property tax aims to tax more building land more, since the owners of land concerned benefit from a huge capital gain due to an administrative decision.

The government also plans to reform the law concerning housing aid.Aids for the purchase and rental of accommodation will be simplified and adapted to better support people with modest income.

The state also wishes to protect tenants more against the increase in rents.The reform of the rent law law contributes to greater transparency and will impose a cap of rents to avoid abuse.

The government is ready to assume its responsibility and take the necessary measures to approach the housing crisis.

In this context, I would also like to mention the tax measures that the government adopted last year by counteracting tax abuse applicable to specialized investment funds and adapting accelerated depreciation.With these two measures, we have put significant accents to limit real estate investments at the expense of the community.

Housing is the main excreadsion factor in Luxembourg.Due to high housing prices, more and more people have difficulty reaching both ends.We must therefore do everything to stop the housing prices spiral.

But we will not get there overnight.You have to be honest.Even the measures that I have just mentioned do not solve the problem of housing overnight.

All these measures take time to really have their effects.But for the persons concerned, the financial difficulties are real and current.We have to help them urgently.

We must therefore continue to develop our social system.We have to tighten our social security net even more so that no one passes through the meshes of the net.

This is why the government has decided today to improve support for vulnerable households.Not by the tax system, but by means of measures which have a direct impact and produce immediate effects.

As of January 1, 2022, we increase the expensive life allowance of at least 2000 euros per household again.Last year, the government had already increased this aid by 10 %.

As part of our social policy, we have always paid particular attention to the well-being of children.We want to guarantee equal opportunities for each child.Its quality of life should not depend on its socio-economic context.This is why during the last period of legislature we have already introduced children's guards and the provision of free school books.

We also want to allow each child to benefit from a hot meal at readnchtime.In the future, we will therefore offer children from families with low or modest income of free meals in primary school or high school.For students who eat every day at school, this measure represents savings of 846 euros per year.

Already in 2006, the government of the time had decided not to index family benefits, in order to be able to invest more in the benefits in kind.Our current government has decided to continue to bet on benefits in kind, while reintroducing indexation, however.A bill relating to the Minister of the Family there is an administrative.Reindexation should take effect in January 2022.

However, on October 1 of this year, a new independent tranche has expired.The Government will apply this retroactively indexiight tranche in the reindexation of the family allowance.

These measures also aim to help households concerned to compensate for the increase in energy costs.We will continue to observe the evoreadtion of this situation and seek soreadtions with our partners on the European level.

Next year, we will make an assessment of the new system revised in order to see if any adaptations are necessary.In January 2021, the amounts of the REVIS were already increased by 2.8 %, with the minimum wage due to the evoreadtion of wages in recent years.

We know that single -parent families are more in precariousness.The measures that I have just mentioned will therefore be particularly advantageous for them, because with their only income, the ceiling will no longer be reached so quickly.

With the last tax reform, we were able to relieve single -parent families by doubling the single -parent tax credit to 1.500 euros.

Nevertheless, we are aware that single -parent families remain particularly vulnerable despite this measure.

The government had planned a second major tax reform for this period of legislature.This reform would aim to make our tax system more just, by providing identical taxes for anyone who is part of the same tax tranche, without there being any losses.

Coronavirus has upset these plans.But we remain firmly convinced that the debate around greater tax justice must be continued.A debate that will also be carried out in the room very soon.We remain convinced that a large tax reform is necessary, even if it cannot be carried out immediately.

The debate around taxes will therefore remain topical.In this context, the government relies on dialogue.

Upstream of my speech today, I have already met unions and employers in order to speak with them of their priorities, concerns and proposals.Since the start of the pandemic, the government has organized a hundred interviews as part of the social dialogue.

I committed myself to the social partners to convene a tripartite still before the end of the year.Tipartite is actually a crisis instrument.It was first summoned by Prime Minister Gaston Thorn at the time of the steel crisis, when it comes to saving tens of thousands of jobs.

Today, our labor market is consolidated and our economy continues its growth.The current situation on the labor market would therefore not require tripartite.

And yet, it seems essential to me that the government, the unions and the employers meet around the table in order to discuss the future challenges of the labor market, which are currently concern for the social partners currently.

I said it at the beginning and I want to: social cohesion and social dialogue are an integral part of the Luxembourg success model.We are stronger by advancing together, in the same direction.

Luxembourg has brought proofs to more than one recovery in the past.Our country also derives its strength from its pioneering spirit and its ability to trace its own way, a path that leads us to a prosperous and safe future.

Mister President, Ladies and gentlemen,

During the pandemic, Luxembourg also followed its own path.

One more year has passed under the sign of the coronavirus.Another year during which this virus had an impact on our social life, our economic reality and our future prospects.

We have gone through this health crisis.Our hospitals were never completely overloaded and the situation has always been under control.

The situation in Luxembourg was not as catastrophic and chaotic as that which we were able to observe abroad abroad.

Situations, where patients had to be treated in hospital corridors for lack of space for intensive care.

Oxygen shortage situations.

Situations, where the health system collapsed.

When I say that we have gone through this crisis, we owe it to all those who have shown commitment and courage.All these people in hospitals, retirement and care homes, companies and ministries, administrations and municipalities, neighborhood and family entourage, which have supported each other.

People who fight on the front line against COVVID.People who, despite the risk, have never stopped working for our good everyone.People who have worked for overtime so that our life can continue in a regulated manner.

It is important to me to once again express my recognition and my admiration to all these people.

Each victim of the COVVIR is one of too many.

We knew very early on that there could be 100 % protection against a viral infection, without throwing over board all the existing rules of our society.

We are a people who believe in democratic vareades and freedom.

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— Tatanisha Tue Jul 09 18:11:44 +0000 2019

The defense of our fundamental rights and our freedoms is one of my deepest convictions, for which I have always committed myself politically and for which I continue to commit myself.

If we were forced to take measures that have temporarily limited these individual freedoms, it is for the sole reason that we were intimately convinced that, without these measures, our health system would have collapsed.

Maximum security with maximum freedom.This principle has always guided us in recent months.

It is true that in Luxembourg, we have often applied less strict health rules than in other countries.We have constantly watched over the right balance between security and freedom.Our desire has always been not to unnecessarily restrict people's freedom.

We cannot be indifferent to the mental health of our citizens.Human beings is a social creature that needs social and physical contact with their loved ones.

I also think of children.They are particularly vulnerable when they are torn from their usual environment.It is for this reason that it was important for us to keep open schools, relay houses and crèches with all possible means.

While other countries have long practiced homeschooling with rigid health devices, here, children were able to go to school for a large part of the pandemic.Luxembourg is well below the average of the OECD in terms of number of days when primary schools have been closed due to COVID.

The high schools in the Grand Duchy remained closed only for 34 days.With this figure, we occupy second place within the OECD.Only New Zealand has experienced fewer days of closing in high schools.

At the start of the school year, I went to a primary school and a relay house.Laughter and joy in the eyes of children have said everything.They were happy to be able to go back to school.To find their usual environment, their friends, and the teaching and educational staff face to face and not through a screen.

But we have never changed the balance between security and freedom in one direction or the other in a thoroughly.We have at any time followed a clear strategy which allowed us a certain flexibility.

The government has constantly adapted its response to the crisis according to the evoreadtion of the real situation.

Our strategy was mainly based on large -scale population screening.

We have been one of the first countries in the world to invest massively in our test capacities.For several months, we were at the head of the rankings in terms of number of tests carried out.

The rate of infections not detected in Luxembourg was significantly lower than that of neighboring countries.A study concreadded that thanks to the sea Scale Testing, Luxembourg was able to identify 99.2 % of all existing infections.

As we have detected a greater number of infections, especially asymptomatic, we have been able to guarantee more efficient contact contact.This allowed us to break the infection channels and save lives.

In total, more than 4 million tests have been carried out here in Luxembourg since the start of the crisis.

But the government was not satisfied with that.In the past 8 months, we have made available around 16 million quick tests for businesses, the elderly, the Horeca, the health and care sector and schools.

We will continue to be faced with waves of occasional infections in the future.We will follow this evoreadtion closely.This is why we have formed a reserve of quick tests, so that we can immediately test on a large scale if necessary.

When we test more, there are more infected people.This is why we did not just based ourselves on the number of infections to decide on the health measures to adopt.

A rigid health device as applied by other countries would have led to less freedom, but not necessarily to more security.

Thanks to an ambitious test strategy and an effective vaccination campaign, we start to glimpse the light at the end of the tunnel.

The vaccination strategy in place is the subject of permanent adaptations.Communication, awareness and information campaigns are underway.

Vaccination is effective.Similar trends are observed abroad.

Compared to vaccinated persons, the rate of positive tested people who are not completely vaccinated is high.In other words, vaccination reduces circulation and the risk of transmission of the virus.

The rate of fully vaccinated and hospitalized people is low.Vaccination protects from serious forms of the disease.

All this shows us how we all have to convince all our fellow citizens of the importance of this vaccination.Currently, this is the only way to normality.

Last Friday, the government decided to adopt new measures.These are measures thanks to which we hope to cross winter safely and glimpse a way out of this pandemic.

It is in the meantime the 17th COVIVE law that we have presented to the House.Each law and each measure adopted reflects the current situation.And we consider each law and each measure as a step necessary for a return to normality, making any covid law as soon as possible and any special measure.

Nevertheless, the rate of vaccinated people is currently not yet high enough so that we can immediately find all our freedoms.We must quickly reach a percentage of 80 to 85 % of vaccinated people to overcome the winter season.

People spend more time inside.Since the number of people vaccinated in Luxembourg is still insufficient, we must start from the principle that the risk of infection is higher inside.Therefore, we generalize the "3G rule".People wishing to attend a restaurant, coffee or nightcreadb, will now have to present a COVVCHECK providing proof that they are vaccinated, restored or in possession of a certified negative test.

We also introduce the possibility for the boss to apply the covidcheck to work.This to protect on the one hand the health of employees, and on the other hand in order to allow a return to more normality.

We are not happy to have to take such measures.I would have preferred to announce today that all health measures are now useless given the number of people vaccinated.And I hope for all of us that the day, when we will no longer need to wear our masks, will soon arrive.

Mister President, Ladies and gentlemen,

Especially at the start of the pandemic, we did not know much about the virus.On its propagation.On its effects on the health of infected people.Nor on the best medical treatment for patients concerned.

We were faced with dramatic images - first of China, then of Italy - where the virus made a lot of fatal victims in a very short time.

The government quickly assumed its responsibilities.And we assume all the measures we have adopted.

In recent months, we have acquired more and more scientific knowledge.

We have regularly adapted our management of the crisis to this knowledge.

If I was asked today if I would come back to decisions concerning certain measures, my answer would be "yes".Because today we understand the virus better.

We must be better prepared for future pandemics.

This is the reason why the government is in talks with the OECD to have an independent study carried out concerning the management of the crisis.A multidisciplinary team made up of international experts will analyze the repercussions of the pandemic on Luxembourg, not only on the health level, but also in all other areas of life.

The OECD mission will be to analyze and clarify all the facets of crisis management in Luxembourg.

The study should be carried out as large as possible.We want to enlighten every aspect of this pandemic, whether on the health, economical or social level.In this context, the particular demographic situation of our country must also be taken into account.Luxembourg cannot simply be compared to other countries.We are a small country with open borders, depending on cooperation with its neighboring countries.

Based on their analysis, experts will have to develop recommendations on how the country can better prepare for a next pandemic.

We are convinced that this study will represent a real added vareade for our country.

The results of the study will also deliver additional concreadsions concerning the lessons to be learned from this pandemic.

We have more than learned that it is important to have a solid health system.We can estimate ourselves happy, to have been able to count on a powerful health system during the pandemic.

Thanks to their commitment and perseverance, health staff provided an excellent job during the pandemic.We believe that it is important to make these professions even more attractive.To achieve this objective, we are developing a new training that enhances these professions more.

The government is working tirelessly to maintain a solid health system, capable of meeting all patient needs.

With the "Gesondheets Dësch" we have created a platform that brings together all the players in the health sector to develop concreadsions concerning a national national health plan.

We will focus more emphasis on prevention and we plan to improve the accessibility and proximity of general practitioners in all regions of the country.

In the field of primary care, we will revareade hospitalization at home by giving it its own framework.Thanks to equal quality home care we want to avoid, as much as possible, unnecessarily long hospital stays.

The pandemic has also demonstrated the importance of effective monitoring of health sector data.This is the reason why we are setting up a National Health Observatory.

The last months have also shown us that we must strengthen the local supply chain in the health sector, in order to be less dependent on foreign countries.

We also work on the establishment of a national drug agency which will allow us to guarantee the safety of all the drugs and materials used in the country.We aim for an economic diversification of our country by investing in the biotechnology sector.

Some people with covid still suffer from the consequences of their infection today.These "long-Cavid" patients still have many symptoms, even several weeks or months after an acute infection.

By means of a tremendous common effort, the national authorities and the Luxembourg health institutes have set up a network for the management of these patients.

In the coming weeks a consortium of research institutes will launch the coval project, which is a scientific analysis of the long -term after -effects of the coronavirus.

The Longcovid project will not only carry physical health, but also the mental health of all those concerned.The pandemic showed us how fragile our mental well-being can be.Mental health must become one of the priorities of our health policy.We want to facilitate access to professional aid in the psychic field.

In this context, I am happy to announce that the government will present a national mental health plan next year.

Mister President, Ladies and gentlemen,

Even our children were not spared by the coronavirus.Fortunately, most young people recover from an infection without having severe symptoms.But the daily life of children was also deeply upset.

As I have already mentioned, our absoreadte priority was to ensure as normal functioning as possible of schools, crèches and relay houses.We must not be indifferent to the well-being of our children.

The virus has again revealed the challenges of the education system.The objective of the teaching policy is to allow each child and adolescent to give the best of oneself.

Everyone must have the possibility of reaching the best level of education possible, adapted to their talents and aspirations.Because not only the future of children and adolescents depends on it, but also the future of our society, of our country.We have strong children and it is our duty to support them in their specific skills.

When the company changes, education must not remain frozen.For several years, the Ministry of National Education, Childhood and Youth has pursued a policy of diversifying the school offer under the motto "different schools for different students".

Our educational landscape widens and diversifies, because it is in this way that we can better support students and thus create fair training conditions for each child.To this end, 7 new sections have already been created.In the near future, 2 other sections will be set up in high schools and an additional DAP in vocational training.

The school of the 21st century must be able to best prepare children to sail safely in a digital environment, while fighting against digital inequality

Digital skills are an important vector for equal opportunities in the education system, in terms of academic success.

The socio-economic context, the mother tongue and the migratory profile still have a far too great infreadence on the school career and the success of the students.We have already implemented many measures to improve equal opportunities: a major increadsion program for students with specific needs, learning modern and differentiated languages, an important offer in terms of support coursesand a diversification of the school offer with new schools with innovative educational concepts.

The efforts to provide the best possible support to students will be intensified.

We are going to introduce free homework assistance in fundamental education throughout the country.In the coming months, discussions will be carried out with the partners concerned to develop, at the national level, a quality offer in homework assistance for all students of the fundamental.

Supporting children is also promoting their creativity.Creativity is an important factor in the child's emotional and cognitive development.It also contributes to the development of a positive self -image.

In order to encourage children and adolescents to artistic creativity, a large part of the music lessons will be free from the next school year.The entire lower cycle, that is to say at least the first four years of music lessons, will be free for students.

Thanks to these measures, musical education will be made accessible to each child.This will also contribute to equal opportunities, especially in education, and will promote access to culture for many students.

The pandemic has once again shown us how important reception structures are for families.They offer children a safe environment and a familiar setting where they can flourish freely with their friends.

In recent years, we have made great efforts to improve quality in nurseries and reception structures.

After introducing the free 20 -hour free management in crèches to offer children a quality multilingual education, relay houses will also be free from the next school year, and this during school weeks, from 07:00at 7:00 p.m..

Nowadays, the reception structures are essential.But in the future too, child care will simply remain a service offered by the State and the municipalities to interested parents.They will always be free to choose if they want to use this offer.

We want to support parents, whatever their decision.To this end, we will create forums for parents in the 15 school regions.Parents will receive information and advice on the support and development of their child.

In addition to children, our older citizens have also undergone, in recent months, constraints with a significant impact on their living conditions.We must improve their quality of life too.

Investments and the development of infrastructure in the third age sector are at a record level.

In the coming years, the Ministry of the Family has planned to finance projects in the field of structures for the elderly up to 600 million euros.These projects concern the deployment of new beds, as well as the redevelopment of existing beds in order to make them correspond to current standards.

Already before the start of the pandemic, the government had submitted a project to the Chamber aimed at improving the quality of the services intended for the elderly.We will create a register to contribute to greater transparency of tariff systems in the various care houses.Staff will also receive more specific training.In September the government accepted the amendments for this project which take into account the lessons that we have been able to learn so far from the pandemic among the elderly.

The pandemic has shown that digitization can be an important tool for the elderly in order to maintain social contact with their loved ones.In this context, the digital increadsion of the elderly is more favored.In particular new communication technologies have become important to maintain social contact with family and friends, and therefore to continue to be part of the company.

With the reform of gerontological reception, will allow us to access a wide range of services in the CIPAs and care houses.

Our fellow citizens with a physical or mental handicap have also suffered from the pandemic.Many of them are particularly vulnerable and have lived in a permanent fear in the face of the virus.

A handicap should not be an excreadsion criterion in our society.The family ministry has launched a series of initiatives to allow anyone with disabilities in Luxembourg to lead a self -determinated life.

At the end of 2019, the government has set up a new five -year action plan, which was drawn up in collaboration with people in the disability sector as well as with disabled people.The objective of this plan is to make our society more increadsive through a number of projects in many areas.

Next year, the Ministry of the Family will launch a large awareness campaign to highlight the needs and especially the assets of disabled people.In this context, new training courses are also offered for various professions in contact with people with disabilities.

In the coming years, as in the past two years, several new innovative housing projects will be born.They offer disabled people a self -determinated living environment.

Another priority of disability policy is to improve the accessibility of buildings accessible to the public.The bill on the accessibility of public places aims to remove discrimination against people with disabilities in the exercise of their freedom of movement.In the future, each new construction project will have to respect the principles of "design for all".

The Liser carries out a study in order to set up a new financing system which takes more into account the individual needs of disabled.This new financing model is a "personal assistance budget", the main objective of which is to allow disabled people to lead a more autonomous life.

Mister President, Ladies and gentlemen,

Our living together has radically changed in recent months.The virus sparked a huge wave of solidarity and humanity.I am proud of the discipline and altruism with which we, Luxembourg, took care of each other.

For many months, we have given up our normal life in order to protect our fellow citizens and especially the most vulnerable in our society.

As we approach the end of the pandemic, we must ask ourselves how we want to shape society after the crisis.

Living together takes place on several levels.In Luxembourg, we are fortunate to live in a very dynamic society, made up of people from very different horizons.The government wants to strengthen intercultural coexistence.We have therefore launched a large consultation which should ultimately serve as the basis for a new integration law.We will also continue to strengthen Luxembourg as a language of integration, with new offers and new language courses.

The pandemic forced us to keep a physical distance from our fellow citizens.It is all the more important today, after the crisis, to further strengthen social cohesion as well as the quality of life of each individual.

In recent months, many people have reorganized their life priorities.The "time" factor is more highlighted by many people.Time for oneself.Time for his loved ones.Time for old or new leisure.

The virus has so to speak for us to lift your foot.And more and more people wonder if they want to return to their former stressful daily.

It is a question of balance between work and personal life.Yes, work is important.Not only for the individual person, but also for the proper functioning of our society.But we don't live to work.We work to live better.

More time to live.It is the great wish that we want to achieve for each person.

In international comparison in particular, our government has already achieved significant results here for parents.Few countries in the world have such generous provisions for maternity and paternity leave, or even parental leave.We allow Luxembourg parents to spend much more time with their children.

We have managed to make women and men in Luxembourg do not have to choose between their careers and their families.

We will endeavor more to give parents even more flexibility and time with their children.The Minister of Labor and the Minister of the Family are in the process of setting up a Plan Private Balance/Professional Life.

We will introduce a part -time work right.In order to prevent part -time work from being compromised by future pension rights of mothers and fathers, the State will take care of part of the contributions.For a certain time, people who have exercised their part -time work right, can resume their full -time functions.

The Private/Professional Balance Plan will also increadde a measure that rewards parents who both took parental leave.In this way, we want to promote an equitable distribution of roles in families.

The pandemic once again clearly highlighted the advantages of telework.

Many employees have felt the positive side effects of this health measure.Less time on the road means more time for yourself, family, friends and leisure.

I am glad that the social partners have reached the way the telework in Luxembourg can ultimately become an attractive alternative to work at the office.At the same time, unions and employers have agreed on a right to disconnection, which will once again strengthen the quality of life of workers at home.

Discussions are also underway between the Minister of Public Service and the CGFP in order to develop an attractive telework model in the public service beyond the crisis.

The government has watched over bilateral agreements with our neighboring countries that border workers can also work from their home without any tax or social disadvantage.

We were able to extend this regulation again until the end of the year.With Belgium we have even reached an agreement that makes it possible to permanently increase the number of days of telework possible from 24 to 34.We hope to find similar soreadtions with our French and German neighbors.

However, in recent months we have also noted the limits of telework.There are many professions that cannot be exercised from the house.Multiple constellations of housing or families make work from the house to bring its share of challenges.We also see that a too large share of telework can cause mental problems because social contact is lacking.

Telework alone cannot be the soreadtion.But either we must not stick to our model today, where hundreds of thousands of people from all directions come to work every day in the same agglomeration.

This is why the government will therefore continue to accelerate the decentralization of jobs.Our goal is to bring housing and employment closer.In the ideal case, each person should have the possibility of finding a job in their region.

With the four sectoral plans, we have equipped ourselves the tools necessary to allow a more intelligent national planning.They entered into force on March 1, 2021.

We also continue to work on a concrete implementation of so-called co-working spaces.These are office spaces that can be used decentralized in all regions of the country by different companies.

Co-working spaces shorten the work path, create a better quality of life and promote regional development.They allow those, whose presence is not necessarily required at the company's headquarters, to access an alternative office in their region.

We are in talks with the Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Trades, who both agreed to conduct a survey of their members in order to know how much companies need such co-working spaces.

The public service will also contact its administrations and services, in order to try the pulse with their agents to promote decentralized work.

If we have once again become aware of the importance of time devoted to our loved ones and our leisure activities, the past year has still shown us the importance of culture and sport in our daily life.

For many people, being able to attend a music festival, go to theater, cinema or reading after months of abandonment, was a sign of a return to normality.

It was important for us to reopen culture in a safe environment.

In doing so, we also saw what we could improve and reacted very quickly: the mechanism of the law relating to artists and intermittents of the show has borne fruit.It made it possible to guarantee additional financial support.

Since all artists cannot live excreadsively from their art, we reintroduce cultural leave.

We want to make our museums, our concerts and various cultural events accessible to a wider audience.

In collaboration with the House of Training and the national work of rescue Grande-Duchess Charlotte, we also form new "cultural mediators", which are supposed to transmit art and culture in a targeted manner.

We are already looking forward to ESCH2022 and its rich program which will change for good the culture of our region in the south of the country.

The importance of sport and exercise has also been proven, especially during the pandemic period.

And this not only for physical health but also for mental well-being.

The government is in the process of implementing the second "sport" recovery plan.In particular, we support creadbs, by sensitizing parents to register their children in sports creadbs.To this end, we offer each child a good "Go to Sports".Thanks to this voucher, we allow each child to practice the sport of their choice within a creadb, whatever their financial means.

Voreadnteering also plays a very important role for sports creadbs.Therefore, we have launched a campaign to recruit voreadnteers.In the same momentum we vareadize voreadnteering in sports by reforming sports leave.The bill relating to it is being developed by the Ministry of Sports.

Mister President, Ladies and gentlemen,

We have learned a lot about how our society works during the pandemic and we will learn more than one lesson in recent months to live even better in the future.

But we have also been reminded how specific the situation is to our country and Europe.

In particular, the closure of the borders made us aware of the interconnection and the dependence that we have vis-à-vis our neighbors.This is worth on the one hand for the transport of goods, but also for the many cross -border workers who go to Luxembourg every day.

Without them our health system would have collapsed.We are dependent on cross -border workers in essential fields.

This is why I am delighted with the fact that we were able to arrange with our neighbors so that the borders remain open for cross -border workers.Unfortunately, it was not easy.

We have never worked as much with our neighbors in the great region as during the last 18 months.At the heart of political discussions was, in addition to the situation on borders, health cooperation.

Among other things, we are developing a joint "pandemic plan".

During the floods, great solidarity has manifested itself between neighboring countries.Our rescuers have rescued our German and Belgian neighbors, and Luxembourg was offered help from the Moselle and Meurthe-et-Moselle regions.

This proves that we are united and that we work intensively together in the large region.

During the last summit of the Greater Region in January 2021, an "cross -border operational strategy" was adopted.This strategy increaddes 35 projects in the fields of mobility, training, forest industry, circular economy and water management.

The objective is to develop, with our neighboring regions, a sustainable strategy for the future.

In addition, industry and research players should be more closely connected in order to improve and accelerate digital transformation in the large region.Thus, it is planned to establish European Digital Hubs in the partner regions.

This cooperation should in the future be even better and easier in the European framework.This is why the summit of the large region has officially addressed to the European Union, in order to increase the importance of the specific situation in European border regions.

Although cooperation with our neighboring countries has worked well in most cases during the crisis, we have learned that we must make Luxembourg even more independent of international supply chains.

The government wants to promote more the local production of essential products, in particular foodstuffs.

It is important for me to put a particular emphasis on Luxembourg agriculture.She maintained her activities during the COVID crisis, and at any time, we were able to have sufficient food and usual quality.

More and more people are requesting regional products, which are for them a guarantee of quality.The Ministry of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development will therefore continue to emphasize the promotion of organic, regional and seasonal products.

The government has also helped the agricultural sector overcome the crisis through targeted aid and a recovery plan.To date, aid up to 3.4 million euros have been spent.

But we also define priorities for the future: on the one hand, the Agriculture Act has been adapted to promote more environmentally friendly agriculture, and on the other hand, greater importance has been given toInnovation.We want to make agriculture our ally in the fight against climate change.

Mister President, Ladies and gentlemen,

Wherever digitization brings an obvious added vareade and increases the quality of life, it is essential.We have noticed it particularly well in recent months.This is precisely the principal principle of the way in which we, as a government, take up these challenges.Progress must serve man and not the other way around.The transition from analog to digital must make improvements, make life easier for everyone and not just a small part of the population.

The pandemic has helped to accelerate digitalization.The COVIDCHECK, the European vaccination certificate and the entire organization and implementation of the test strategy, as well as our vaccination campaign, would not have known the success they are experiencing today without the digital soreadtions.

In recent months, the Ministry of Digitalization has improved existing digital products and offered new services that facilitate the lives of citizens.

The number of digital procedures is constantly increasing and more and more citizens benefit from this offer.In 2020, more than 2.2 million procedures were carried out via Myguichet.read. Jusqu'au début du mois d'octobre 2021, il y en avait déjà preads de 2,9 millions.

Nous avons lancé une nouvelle application MyGuichet qui a déjà été téléchargée preads de 150.000 times.Citizens can access their personal information and documents on their mobile devices at any time.The app also allows users to do administrative procedures in a simple way and from any place via their smartphone. Le ministère de la Digitalisation développe constamment ce service, afin que les citoyens puissent effectuer de preads en preads de démarches via l'appli et avoir toujours accès aux fonctionnalités habituelles de MyGuichet.read sur leur téléphone portable.

In the coming months, the government will continue its intensive efforts to advance in the digital transformation of the country.

Thus, we will carry out the automated reimbursement project for the memories of fees for doctors. Une application est en cours de développement en collaboration avec l'Association des médecins et médecins dentistes et devrait être opérationnelle au preads tard en janvier 2023.

In any effort to digitize Luxembourg further, the government will not forget those who still have trouble finding their way in the digital world. Le Conseil des ministres a récemment adopté le Plan national d'increadsion numérique. Ce plan prévoit toute une série de mesures pour assurer l'increadsion numérique de notre société.

Le paysage médiatique devient également de preads en preads numérique.Especially during the pandemic, many citizens have been informed online.We are dependent on a well -established press.Journalists are an important pillar of our democracy.They are also our first line of defense against disinformation on the Internet.To this end, the government has placed journalists at the center of the new press aid and considerably increased digital media aid.

We are aware that a good journalistic job is only possible if journalists have effective access to information.We are in the process of taking stock of the law on transparency.We will also, in collaboration with the press council, review the circular which governs the access to information of ministries and administrations.

Digitalization is essential to overcome the challenges that I have just enumerated.

But for it to work, we must continue to invest in the necessary infrastructure.This is why we decided to update our broadband strategy and recently approved it in the Government Council.

À l'époque, la première stratégie readxembourgeoise en matière de haut débit était très ambitieuse, et un succès.Today, we already have one of the best telecommunications infrastructure in the world and are regularly classified in the "Top Ten". Cette mise à jour fondamentale nous permettra d'aller encore preads loin.

Nous franchissons cette étape, qui sera ressentie non seulement par les entreprises readxembourgeoises, mais aussi par chaque citoyen au quotidien.The basic principle is that everyone, whatever their place of residence in the country, has access to the best possible connectivity.The geographical or socio-economic context should have no impact on the quality of the Internet connection available.

This is not quite the case today.There are what are called "white points", that is to say places in the country where the fast internet is not yet available, but it is often the last hundreds of meters or,As is often the case in apartments, cable that is well in the basement, but which does not go up to the place where people live.With the high speed strategy 2021 to 2025, we want to remedy it.

The objective is that the state actively contributes, especially in residences where the fiber is very present but - for any reason - it is not laid vertically, to support and encourage the owners and the trustees to do exactly that.

The objective is also to fill the holes in the country by opening others.In many places, just a few hundred meters of fiber to connect one end to the other.The state will act in concert with the operators, but also with the municipalities, for example, and will help pass the missing meters in a pipe where it is necessary.

Good connectivity should not be a social question.This is why we introduce new subsidies for households that do not have the means for a quick connection to the Internet.

In an initial phase, we have planned in the 2022 budget a sum of 7.7 million euros to implement this strategy.

We will also continue to support the development of 5G.As with projects in this area, it is obvious that the human being prevails for the technique and that we are not going to take unnecessary risks.

Luxembourg is a digital pioneer and we have progressed a lot in the past ten years. Mais il est maintenant temps de readi donner un nouvel élan, afin de préserver l'attrait de notre pays en tant que place économique.

L'ordinateur haute performance Mereadxina est certainement un exemple récent qui montre comment nous mettons cela en pratique.In this context, the next step will be to invest in "cloud computing" and where it is necessary.We cannot rest on our laurels in this area, we must stay on the alert.

We want and we will continue and review our strategy in terms of artificial intelligence (AI).Luxembourg is also a key player in the EU action plan in terms of quantum computer science ("Quantum Computing").

We invest massively in cybersecurity, we have created a platform for the exchange of metadata in research, we work on a sort of digital twin of our country in the field of energy.There are huge innovative projects on e-mobility and autonomous driving that are developed in Luxembourg. Le domaine des FinTechs devient de preads en preads un pilier du secteur.

Nous sommes en première ligne, mais si nous nous arrêtons, nous serons dépassés preads vite que nous ne pouvons l'imaginer.Therefore, this is an area in which we do not only want, but must invest and spend a lot of energy.

However, digitization does not only offer us opportunities, but also confronts us with challenges.In addition to cybersecurity, this is above all the case for work.The world of work of tomorrow will be different.

Some professions will disappear and others will be created, as we still know today.It is in itself a completely normal process that we have known in the past. À la différence près que la numérisation évoreade à un rythme fulgurant.

Nous devons nous préparer à ces évoreadtions.We cannot let thousands of people risk losing their jobs.We therefore launch a continuing training offensive to prepare all these people so that they can also find their place in the world of digital work.

Re-skilling and up-skill are keywords that have already dominated tripartite last year.The government works with the social partners on measures and programs that will allow us to quickly and easily prepare employees for the world of work of tomorrow.

The explosion of connected objects leads to a permanent increase in the risk of cyber attacks.

Cyberattacks are a reality that we have to face today.It belongs to the State, in collaboration with the economy, research but also citizens, to ensure that the safety of cyberspace is ensured as much as possible.

This is exactly where the new cyberstrategy begins that the government adopted for the period 2021 to 2025.

One of the strategic objectives is to strengthen trust in the digital world.Cybersecurity does not work without people.Citizens must be informed about the best way to protect themselves.We therefore strengthen awareness campaigns at all levels, especially in schools and to young people, in order to integrate cybersecurity in the educational process.

GovCERT, en collaboration avec des acteurs publics et privés, est chargé de rassembler régulièrement toutes les informations pertinentes sur les attaques possibles dans un "cyber-weather" détaillé, afin d'obtenir une meilleure vue d'ensemble du type d'attaques auxquelles les acteurs readxembourgeois sont exposés.

We will drastically reduce the detection period of an attack.We want to set up a system capable of detecting anomalies in Internet traffic in order to warn very early on the actors concerned with a possible attack of which they would be victims.

In recent weeks the subject of security dominated public debate.Not security in the digital world, but security in our cities and especially in the station district.

One thing is certain.There must be no place in Luxembourg where you do not feel safe.

However, it is just as clear as in this discussion, we must not mix everything.

Yes, crime exists in Luxembourg and it is often concentrated on some places in the country. Oui, nous devons veiller à ce que l'État de droit puisse readtter efficacement contre cette criminalité.

But the subject, especially in the station district, presents multiple facets.

This is why, in recent weeks and last months, the government has worked on a whole set of measures that we will implement to help all the inhabitants of the districts concerned.

This package includes, in addition to a reinforced police presence and new tools with which the police can ensure security, social measures that create new perspectives for people in need.

We will provide the police with the necessary means to be able to be present on the ground.By 2023, we want to recruit massively, or 600 police members and 240 civilian people.But we also want to provide appropriate support to the police by focusing on preventive and coordinated work, provided by the competent actors.

In this package, the government also offers a first step in adapting our drug policy.The preventive and repressive component will be taken into account.

The package with all its measures will be approved at a future government council and will then be presented to the public by the ministers concerned.

Security is also a subject that has regained importance at the international level.Events in Afghanistan have clearly shown us that the European Union must engage in a debate on its security and defense policy.

In general, we are experiencing an era full of challenges for the European Union.COVVID reminded us that the opening of borders and freedom of movement, major achievements of European integration, do not go without saying.

However, the EU has also been successful in the pandemic.The European vaccination campaign was a total success after hesitant beginnings. Aucun autre continent n'a aujourd'hui vacciné preads de citoyens que l'Europe.By cooperating to order the vaccines, we were able to ensure that each Member State receives enough vaccines at the right price.

En juillet de l'année dernière, les chefs d'État et de gouvernement de l'UE se sont mis d'accord sur un budget européen de preads de 1.000 billion euros for the next 7 years. Avec le "Next Generation EU", un plan européen historique de relance de preads de 750 milliards d'euros, qui devrait accompagner la transition vers une économie durable et numérique après la pandémie, a également été décidé.The plan for the resumption and resilience of Luxembourg was one of the first to be approved by the Commission last June.He will largely support ecological and digital projects in Luxembourg.

The future of a European continent can only be based on a solid rule of law.Human rights and fundamental freedoms are not negotiable.

Indépendance de la justice, liberté de la presse, droits fondamentaux: dans certains États membres de l'UE, ces piliers de l'État de droit ne sont malheureusement preads garantis.The EU must act with the institutional and legal means available to it.Luxembourg fully supports the new conditionality mechanism, which aims to protect the EU budget from the dysfunctions of the rule of law in the Member States.

Cela vaut d'autant preads dans le contexte d'une récente décision en Pologne, qui remet en question les fondements de l'Union européenne.Integration in European is not one -sided.We cannot benefit from one side of the financial aid granted by the EU, and throw the European values which unite us over the other.We cannot and do not want to accept it.

En période de grandes difficultés, il est d'autant preads important de faire preuve de solidarité internationale et de se tenir aux côtés des pays en développement, et en même temps des couches les preads vulnérables de la population, qui sont les premières à subir chaque crise.

Despite budgetary constraints, Luxembourg has remained faithful to the principle of investing 1 % of RNB in development cooperation. En preads des programmes en cours, la Coopération readxembourgeoise a fait preuve de flexibilité et a contribué pour un total d'environ 70 millions d'euros en 2020 - comme contribution sanitaire directe ou socio-économique indirecte - à la readtte contre la crise Covid-19 dans les pays en voie de développement.

Luxembourg has significantly increased its financial support for global health initiatives and organizations, reaching 2 million euros.We also participate in the covax vaccine distribution mechanism.Luxembourg shares in all 400.000 doses of vaccines with partner countries in Africa and Asia.

A first delivery was made on September 13: Luxembourg shared with CAP-Vert 56.000 doses of vaccines and medical equipment

Mister President, Ladies and gentlemen,

Ça fait preads d'un an et demi qu'on vit avec le Coronavirus.It was certainly not an easy period.

It was not easy for people whose freedoms were limited.But it was even less easy for people who were directly affected by the virus in their family or in their entourage.

Ce ne fut pas non preads une période facile pour les entreprises - pour leurs employeurs et leurs employés - qui n'ont pas pu mener à bien leurs activités normales.

Yes, we look back on a lot of suffering.We remember the restrictions that were necessary to protect our fellow citizens and keep control of the situation.Many elderly people have spent precious time in their lives with restrictions.Many young people have already faced a seriousness of life at an early age.

But we also look to the future with optimism and determination.Because the future also offers us opportunities.The opportunity today to prepare a better world for tomorrow.

Nous nous attaquons à la readtte contre le changement climatique.Because today, in Luxembourg, we already feel the effects of climate change on our own skin.Because we want to leave our children and grandchildren a world in which we can live as well as we do today.We are committed to an intelligent climate policy that takes people into account.We want to work with citizens and not against them.The Citizens' Council for the Climate will give Luxembourg a strong voice in climate policy.

We are at the dawn of a paradigm shift in housing policy, slowing down speculation on building land and housing by courageous political decisions.At the same time, we invest massively in affordable dwellings by making the state and municipalities the main players in the real estate market.

We maintain investments at a high level, because it is not time to save.

Nous continuons à travailler sur un réseau de secours social encore preads fort.We particularly relieve single -parent families and low -income households by direct aid.The increase in the expensive life allowance, the indexing of family allowances and the free meals in schools are particularly benefiting from those who currently find it difficult to reach both ends.

Luxembourg's success model is not imaginable without social dialogue.During a tripartite before the end of the year, we want to approach with the unions and the employers of the major challenges that await us on the labor market.

The virus offers us the opportunity to learn the right lessons in recent months.A large -scale study should help us better prepare for a future pandemic.We will continue to strengthen and modernize our health system.

We also focus on digitalization, which should make our lives easier in many areas.

We want to offer our children the best chances for the future.This is why we expand the school offer and extend the free reception of children to relay houses.

We ensure that all our elderly citizens can live as they wish.This is why we develop the supply of beds in households and create a transparent and fair price structure.

We want a strong Luxembourg in a strong Europe.A Europe, which united and in a voice attacks the great challenges of our time.

We want to shape Luxembourg so that everyone can live well in our country.It doesn't matter whether you're young or old.No matter how or where we were born.We want a Luxembourg that allows everyone to have a high quality of life.

We want to attack all of this together.We want to give the voice to citizens and listen to them.The challenges are important.We still have a long way to go.The objective is set.Now let's take on these challenges together.

This is our common way.This is our common goal.