I asked all parties in Luxembourg’s Parliament to reply to simple questions, and give answers to the crucial issue of Housing. They replied.
Here’s what they had to say: videos, text and self-rated commitments from the CSV, the LSAP, the Democratic Party, the Pirates and the Greens. The ADR and the Left did not reply to the questionnaire.
Colette Flesch, was the first woman to become mayor of Luxembourg City in 1970. The politician discusses her life and work, and immigration in Luxembourg.
Colette Flesch is a former member of the Chamber of Deputies, former MEP, and former Olympic athlete.
In this pilot episode of Conversations with Christos, they discuss her life, marked by World War II, and escaping the Nazi invasion of Luxembourg, and working to build a better ‘brave new world’.
Next Episode coming January 10 2023.
Conversations with Christos is a TV series (streaming) that I created with RTL. I have meaningful conversations with public figures from Luxembourg and Europe to make their work and lives more accessible to you.
More than 40% of Americans think a civil war is likely within a decade, it probably won’t happen, but we are already paying the price of US division.
While you’re here, you can choose to read this on RTL Today.
Four in ten Americans believe that a civil war is likely in the next 10 years, and an overwhelming 60% think that an increase in political violence is to be expected in the next few years.
I don’t think a civil war, as we understand war, is on the horizon, there are no likely scenarios in which a North/South divide may occur, neither conflict, outside courtrooms, between States. However, increased division and local clashes will hurt, not only the United States, but Europe, its allies and the rest of a World left leaderless.
Domestic divisions in the US have already been damaging and adversaries have become more likely to test the US’ resolve on the world stage. The G7 and G20 have grown increasingly unable to agree, almost leading to their own irrelevance. Some, like Ray Dalio, have already drawn the decline into their predictions for the future, outlining undemocratic China as the world’s new dominant empire.
A United States that’s preoccupied with fixing internal divisions will be absent on the world stage, where we are trying to solve the Climate Crisis, counter the increased dominance of China, sustain the world’s global food supply chains, ensure access to raw materials to build everything from our phones to computers and electric cars and maintain democracy and global security.
We have a responsibility to assist our allies in Washington for two main reasons.
Firstly, the United States was not only instrumental in the liberation of Europe from Nazi Germany, it ensured Europe had what it needed to build its future. The US rebuilt Luxembourg and Europe after World War 2, leading the recovery of the entire continent, through its Marshall Plan, transferring $13 billion ($115 billion today) between 1948 and 1951 to war-torn European nations, as well as funding projects through the World Bank.
Secondly, in the post-war period, the United States began building a liberal world order, which eventually left it as the World’s Superpower at the end of the Cold War. That same world order supports Luxembourg’s and the EU’s role in the World.
Together and with our partners around the world, we built institutions and programmes that progressed humanity. Hollywood and giant American technological companies shaped the way we work and communicate, our aspirations and even our beliefs.
Internal US divisions could put all of this at risk. And if the US is filled with disinformation, conspiracies and blurred lines between truth, facts and lies; it will divide the nation more than the issues themselves already divide them.
If America continues to be separated by ideologies, race and gender issues, inequities in opportunities for education and economic advancements, the domestic division will, to say the least, obscure and derail public and foreign policy, uncertainty will lead to inaction, and even miscalculated actions.
Suddenly, we would need to learn to live in a world without American leadership, we got but a small taste during Trump’s time as President, and his understanding of NATO. If the current world order breaks down, Europe and our allies will suffer. Furthermore, once challenged, Americans may realise how much they depend and benefit from it. It is in the interest of Luxembourg and the EU to ensure we assist the United States in addressing and healing its internal divisions and help convey the outsized responsibility of the average American citizen, in deciding for the fate of the world.
One way we could assist is by helping young Americans, many of whom claim to be worried about climate change and other crucial social issues, but often fail to participate in elections, turn up and contribute to electing leaders who will support swift action.
Additionally, a united effort by the EU and democracies around the world is required to defend the status quo, while America evolves and heals, to ensure increasing autocratic tendencies, that inevitably disregard urgent global issues, are halted.
I can think of no task of greater importance, than ensuring we step up and show up for our greatest ally, in this time of need. Out of respect for our shared history, and for the survival and betterment of humanity, our governments must take an active and supportive role in the internal business of the United States.
Talks of a Civil War in the United States, is our business too.
Moien, I’m Christos, I think its time I spoke to you directly.
I love Luxembourg, our beautiful City, and our European Union, and I want to make sure it works for all of us.
We are diverse and international.
Whether you are Luxembourgish with many generations before you, or you grew up here, you have become a citizen, or you are a resident, old or new, Our society is shaped by all of us.
Our contribution to society matters, our presence is felt throughout this city and country, and is shaping it and our future.
It’s about time this diversity is represented, so that we can decide our future together.
You and I can be instigators of change. I believe that, and I need you to believe that too.
Thank you for following and helping share our message of community.
I am happy to announce, that I have been elected to the Council of SILK, the Syndicat d’Intérêts Locaux Kirchberg, a non-profit organisation, working for the benefit of the residents of our beautiful Quartier. I will work, in the interest of all residents, to protect Kirchberg, and in a greater extent, the City of Luxembourg, protect our heritage, our old buildings, our shared past, and also ensure that the city we are building forward, is one that is welcoming, open and human.
Read the story and my remarks below
Mr. Bento is my Portuguese grandfather. He was my neighbour for my entire childhood. Back when Kirchberg was still a village. He had flowers and vegetables in his garden, and rabbits in the shed. He taught me to eat sausage with bread, and to drink a little bit of Porto.
Growing up an immigrant in Luxembourg, you experience life, and family, differently. The spaces you share, the traditions you set up — everything is a little bit different.
The Portuguese community is one of the most welcoming, most loving and diverse in Luxembourg and my childhood and my life, has been shaped under the influence of Portuguese presence in Luxembourg.
A lot has changed since the days Mr. Bento used to be my neighbour, more buildings, more people, luxury flats in the place that his garden once stood…
This is why, today, I am happy to announce, that yesterday I was elected to the Council of SILK, the Syndicat d’Intérêts Locaux Kirchberg (SILK), a non-profit organisation, working for the benefit of the residents of our beautiful quartier. I will work, in the interest of all residents, to protect Kirchberg, and in a greater extent, the City of Luxembourg, protect our heritage, our old buildings, our shared past, and also ensure that the city we are building forward, is one that is welcoming, open and human, so that other kids, can find their immigrant family and their Mr. Bento.
My remarks during the latest SILK meeting: (in Luxembourgish and French)
Merci, à chacun d’entre vous, pour tout le travail que vous avez accompli jusqu’à présent, en tant que SILK.
Ech sinn an der rue de Kirchberg opgewuess, an ech sinn an d’Europaschoul gaang. Ech sinn och Architekt, an ech engagéieren mech an der Politik. well mir ëm eise Quartier këmmeren.
Ech wëll datt mir eng gutt Zukunft fir eise Quartier garantéieren. Ech verstinn firwat alles ännert, awer Ech wëll hëllefen, déi proposéiert PAPen unzepassen, fir datt mir all zesummen eng gutt Zukunft kënne genéissen.
Ech sinn Pro Vëlospisten, a besser Mobilitéit, a schützen eis Natur.
J’ai été très heureux d’entendre parler de certaines des propositions concernant l’école. Je suis heureux d’apprendre que nous avons retardé la destruction de la nature dans l’un des PAP proposés.
Cependant, nous devons encore analyser le projet Laangfur et le projet Kuebebierg. Nous devons continuer à nous demander, pour qui construisons-nous ? Que laissons-nous derrière nous ?
Notre ville est une ville à 70% d’habitants étrangers. Comment pouvons-nous en prendre soin, si la majorité de ses habitants ne se présentent pas à ces réunions, et quel avenir voulons-nous pour notre ville et notre quartier ?
Encore une fois, merci de m’avoir invité. je suis heureux, après tant d’années, de faire partie de cette communauté, plus activement.
Kirchberg is the physical manifestation of Luxembourg’s international ambitions.
Understanding the history of Kirchberg is crucial, as we try to understand how our City plans our lives and our future. It represents the shift for Luxembourg’s dependency on the steel economy, to a service economy.
Over the now 60 years of development, Kirchberg is still not a successful urbanisation project. The vision has changed a lot through these 6 decades, making its development incoherent.
In the last 15 years the Fonds de Kirchberg @fonds_kirchberg has re-evaluated a lot of the mistakes of the past, and we hope to deliver a Kirchberg that works, for itself, and as part of the City of Luxembourg @villedeluxembourg , to increase the quality of life of its residents, and increase density and services within the Quartier.
This Instagram post is a retrospective and first-look into Kirchberg before, now and tomorrow (and the challenges we face)
If you are interested in learning more about life in Luxembourg, and the issues that should concern us all, please do follow me on Instagram and/or send me a friend request on Facebook.
Christos Floros 