During the voting, there were some organisational issues, but the technical staff of the Chamber of Deputies were able to resolve them. The bill received 56 votes, with 54 in favour. The two MPs of the Left Party (Déi Lénk) decided to abstain.
Because the current convention ends in late 2023, the new convention will cover the years 2024 to 2030. The bill sets aside €97.5 million for this purpose. The amount of money the state gives the private station each year is determined by the size of the deficit. In exchange, the company pledges to keep Luxembourg’s residents informed through television, radio, and digital media.
The draft bill’s rapporteur, MP Guy Arendt from the Democratic Party (DP), noted that in particular the costs of running a television channel had “increased dramatically.” As a result, a new convention was required.
The law was also adopted by the Christian Social People’s Party (CSV), the Alternative Democratic Reform Party (adr), and the Pirate Party. However, the opposition raised several critical questions, such as how the state intends to monitor if CLT-UFA and RTL Group fulfil their public contract.
Minister of Communications and Media Xavier Bettel stated that the new convention will allow the corporation, as well as its staff, to plan ahead more effectively.
