Eugène Berger's passing was announced in the Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday, after which the session was cancelled. The sessions that were planned for the rest of the week have also been suspended.
The timetable will be back to normal from the week of the 4 February onwards. In the meantime, funeral arrangements were being made in line with the family's wishes.
Fernand Etgen, Chamber president, declared on Wednesday morning that the news devastated the whole Chamber, and that flags were at half-mast.
Alongside the Chamber sessions, which were cancelled, Etgen announced that they would not be attending European Council meetings next week. When the Chamber sessions resume in the week of the 4 February, they would pick up where they left off.
In the meantime, Gilles Baum will take over the presidency of the DP. The party had planned for the deputy of the East of Luxembourg to take over from Eugène Berger in 2021.
Baum, however, specified on Wednesday morning that he would like the parliamentary group to vote on the decision once they had all fully returned.
He also praised his departed colleague for his political engagement, and said that the amount of messages they had received following his death were a show of his popularity. Baum was investing in helping people wherever he could, and put his all into his work, whatever role that may be: as deputy, as state secretary, as counsellor, and of course, as party president.
Eugène Berger was someone who stood by his ideals, fought for what he believed was right, and often succeeded in his endeavours.
The next elected official on the DP legislative list in the southern constituency is Esch deputy Pim Knaff, who will likely be Eugène Berger's successor.
Mars di Bartolomeo is to become head of the Committee on Institutions now that Alex Body moved over to the State Council this week.
A meeting with the State Council should be taking place soon to discuss the constitution reforms.
Mourning & International Responses: "With Eugène Berger we are losing an engaged politician"
