The weather sparked a heated debate in parliament

The Luxembourg Parliament held a sitting dedicated to the country’s preparations for future periods of extreme temperatures. Despite a general consensus among representatives of most parties regarding the seriousness of the issue, the debate became heated following statements by the chair of the ADR parliamentary group. 

Fred Keup was the only speaker who did not regard the high temperatures as a cause for concern, noting that previous generations would have welcomed such a rise in temperature. At the same time, the politician emphasised that the local rise in temperatures has a specific cause: the proportion of built-up land in the country has increased from 5 per cent in 1990 to 12 per cent today. According to him, the main factor behind these changes has been population growth.

In response to these statements, Djuna Bernard of the Green Party (déi Gréng), who had initiated the debate, sharply criticised her opponent’s approach. She explained that the discussion was aimed at protecting the most vulnerable members of society, who had suffered greatly in recent weeks whilst in state institutions. Bernard called for the development of easy-to-understand heat protection plans for every public facility and noted that the installation of air-conditioning systems is part of the solution to the problem.

On the other hand, the other MPs focused on specific at-risk groups and shortcomings in the infrastructure. Marc Baum, a representative of the Left Party (déi Lénk), drew attention to the harsh working conditions faced by workers forced to work outdoors whilst laying tarmac or constructing buildings, with no possibility of seeking shade. For his part, Marc Goergen of the Pirate Party highlighted the state’s missed opportunities, recalling that as far back as 2020, the parliamentary majority had rejected his proposal to organise a summer campaign to assist the homeless, modelled on the winter campaign. As an immediate measure at local authority level, he proposed opening vacant cultural centres to those seeking refuge from extreme temperatures.

CSV spokesperson Ricardo Marques noted that climate change is occurring faster than the state’s infrastructure can adapt. He also warned that this summer could turn out to be cooler than future summers. Mandy Minella of the DP drew attention to the elderly, suggesting that the Ministry of Family Affairs should act more promptly — for example, by organising a system of regular checks on people living alone.

At the conclusion of the debate, LSAP parliamentary group leader Taina Bofferding (Taina Bofferding) expressed doubt that the government had taken the situation seriously enough, as the national crisis management team had never been convened and coordination had taken place only at the level of civil servants. Nevertheless, Health Minister Martine Deprez stated that the country’s supply chain had not been at risk at any stage. She described the recent heatwave as a stress test rather than a disaster.