Five curved figures symbolise dancers of the famous "Iechternacher Sprangprëssessioun", the yearly religious dancing procession, now cancelled twice in a row due to Covid. The sculpture should have been installed right outside the courtyard of the basilica, on the square called "Vulpert". As this is municipal land, mayor Yves Wengler from the CSV assumed that no authorisation from “Sites et Monuments” was required:
"We're not building a huge monument. It's a work of art and it can be moved. We thought, let's put it there and if that doesn't work, we can always move it."

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The opposition party DP criticizes that the aldermen had rushed ahead without consulting with the municipal council or the Willibrordus association. Even the UNESCO commission might have a say. Carole Hartmann from the DP says:

"If the council of aldermen had asked around, they might have noticed that they needed an authorisation."

Following a parliamentary question and complaints with "Sites et Monuments", the Ministry of Culture has now suspended the works.

Carole Hartmann stresses she is not against the idea in general, but would want to make sure that the sculpture looks appropriate in this iconic place right in front of the Basilica gate.

Mayor Wengler is baffled that the DP would want to block the project on a technicality:

"We are doing something that the residents of Echternach like. If you're trying to stop things everyone likes, you have to ask yourself, why is it in my interest to go against this."

The authorisation procedures are now in progress.