Young people in Luxembourg have come together to defend democracy

Representatives of the youth organisations CSV, DP, LSAP and déi Gréng have signed the constitution of a new think tank called ‘Platform for Democracy’. The main objective of this cross-party alliance will be to develop practical proposals for public debate and to proactively defend the country’s democratic institutions. The project’s participants emphasise that contemporary authoritarian trends abroad – including cuts to public sector funding, the disregard of court rulings and the exclusion of parliaments from military decision-making – demonstrate the vulnerability of democratic norms. In this regard, Fabricio Costa, a representative of dei Gréng, noted that Luxembourg is not an isolated state and that preventive measures are needed today.

The organisation identifies the development of institutions for direct citizen participation, the strengthening of oversight of digital platforms and new technologies, and the comprehensive protection of a free press as its key priorities. According to the participants, regulating the online space has become an urgent necessity in the fight against hate speech. In support of this position, DP representative Michael Agostini read out homophobic insults posted on social media directed at Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel. For his part, Stefano D’Agostini of the CSV called for the development of civic assemblies and open debates based on respect for opposing viewpoints.

Despite differences of opinion on a number of political issues, the platform’s founders position themselves as representatives of centrist forces, united by a desire to safeguard the constitutional order. However, ADR was not invited to participate due to public statements made by its members that contradict the new organisation’s founding principles, which include gender equality, the protection of minority rights and European integration. Nevertheless, the Socialists’ representative, Danielle Filbig, emphasised that the alliance is not directed against any specific political forces and remains open to cooperation with other organisations. The creation of the platform was a continuation of the joint work of young politicians who, a year earlier, had carried out a ‘stress test’ on Luxembourg’s state institutions and sent an open letter to the country’s leadership.