A referendum on whether to merge the four Nordstad municipalities, which are Diekirch, Ettelbruck, Erpeldange-sur-Sûre, and Schieren, is scheduled to take place in one year.
In anticipation, Déi Gréng (The Greens) from the Nordstad region are organising four information evenings, with one such event held in Diekirch on Wednesday.
Despite a neighbouring choir rehearsal resounding through the corridors, fifteen participants gathered in a Diekirch primary school classroom to hear Frank Thillen, a Green councillor from Diekirch, and Claude Feltgen of Ettelbruck outline the rationale behind the proposed merger.
The two politicians discussed the origins of the Nordstad merger idea, which dates back to the 1970s vision of former senior official Adrien Ries, the current cooperation between the four municipalities through syndicates, and their reasons for advocating a formal merger.
They emphasised that larger municipalities could provide a wider range of services for residents.
Among these, ecological services were highlighted as a key example. Currently, only Ettelbruck has a dedicated ecological service in the Nordstad, and this consists of just one employee.
According to Feltgen and Thillen, the merger would make it easier to provide such services throughout the region and ensure that nature and the environment are properly managed in all municipalities.
Other arguments in favour of the merger included the potential for expanded childcare and events services, which at present are only offered in Ettelbruck or, in the case of events, in both Diekirch and Ettelbruck.
The speakers also argued that a unified Nordstad municipality could act as a stronger voice for Éislek and the wider northern region.
During the question and answer session, a participant voiced scepticism regarding the focus on ambitious projects in the merger campaign.
She noted that, as a citizen, it often seemed as though these projects were discussed repeatedly over the years without much tangible progress.
She also questioned whether some of them reflected wishful thinking or personal interests of certain politicians or officials, to which Thillen and Feltgen then acknowledged that political leaders could sometimes seem less forward-looking than residents themselves.
However, another attendee countered that the projects under discussion had in fact been developed through citizen forums and with the support of external consultants, with priorities set in a transparent and participatory process.
She pointed out that everyone had been invited to contribute and that the projects were presented to the public afterwards.
Attendees also wanted to know how municipal employees viewed the merger. The presenters referred to a report indicating that about one third of municipal staff were opposed to the merger, with the remainder either neutral or in favour.
While there was little display of strong enthusiasm, this was attributed mainly to uncertainty, as staff members were waiting for a definitive decision before making up their minds.
Thillen compared the situation to preparing for a holiday: you only pack your suitcase when the trip is confirmed.
Despite the limited attendance, Frank Thillen was pleased with the breadth and diversity of questions raised by the group.
He explained that each information evening in Schieren, Ettelbruck, and Diekirch had a different focus, and that the feedback from participants offered valuable insights into which issues were most important to residents and where they saw the advantages of a merger.
The general mood had been positive throughout the series, he said, with participants recognising potential benefits but also seeking clarity on what the merger would mean in practice, how it would be organised, how residents could have a say, and how current inter-municipal projects would continue in a merged municipality.
Thillen also acknowledged that the participants at the meeting were not necessarily representative of the wider community, as most were politically interested or affiliated with a party.
Currently, the four local councils and the Ministry of Home Affairs are in discussions about matters such as financial support for the merger.
If the referendum receives approval at the end of next year, the four municipalities would become one in the 2029 municipal elections.
