The Grand Duke's finances are causing bewilderment in Parliament

Almost six months after the publication of the Court of Auditors' report on the legality of the Grand Duke's House's expenditure for 2021-2022, the issue was discussed again at the joint parliamentary budget and institutions committee. However, as Laurent Zeimet (CSV), chairman of the Commission on Institutions, admitted, "the meeting did not yield much result".

Prime Minister Luc Frieden (CSV) took a low-key approach to the problems discussed. He recalled that most of the remarks dated back to the previous government. At the same time, he recognised the difficulty of distinguishing between private and public property in the context of the head of state: "The head of state is not an ordinary citizen. It is difficult to draw a clear line".

The central issue is the incomplete inventory of the assets of the House of the Grand Duke. Despite a decree from 2020, only about 10 per cent of all items have been recorded, according to the Court of Auditors. Pirate Party MP Sven Clement criticises: 'This is not about silver spoons. These are works of art worth thousands of euros. The inventory should be complete, or it should be handed over to the state."

Franz Fayot (LSAP) supported the idea that clear rules are needed: if assets are public property, they must be registered and made public. He also suggested reviewing the 2020 Waringo report to see which structural problems remain unresolved.

Of further concern is the fact that employees of the Grand Duke's House may have been engaged to work at private events - without a legal basis. This is contrary to the current procedure. "The rules should be clear. Right now there simply are not," Zeimet noted.