A cross-party initiative led by young politicians from the Christian Social People’s Party (CSV), Democratic Party (DP), Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP), and the Greens has given rise to a new platform dedicated to strengthening Luxembourg’s democracy.
The group announced the signing of its statutes on Wednesday, outlining its intention to generate concrete proposals for public debate in response to recent threats to democratic institutions observed in other countries, notably the United States.
They referenced examples such as budget cuts for public administrations, disregard for court rulings, and parliaments being sidelined on military decisions as warning signs that democracy cannot be taken for granted.
Among the group’s top priorities are greater citizen participation, tighter regulation of online platforms and emerging technologies, as well as robust protections for a free press.
Speaking to the press, Fabricio Costa from the Greens stressed that these fundamental values must be protected pre-emptively, warning that "Luxembourg is not an island".
Asked whether stricter oversight of social media could amount to censorship, Michael Agostini from the DP read aloud a recent example: a homophobic hate speech directed at Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel circulating on social media.
He argued that such incidents demonstrate the urgent need for more effective regulation of online platforms to combat hate and safeguard democratic debate.
The new "Platform for Democracy" also wants to promote citizens’ assemblies as a means for people from diverse backgrounds to engage with democracy more directly.
Stefano D’Agostini from the CSV advocated for more controversial and deliberative debates, encouraging people to exchange arguments, listen to one another, tolerate opposing views, and remain open to questioning their own positions.
The founders describe themselves as representing the political centre, with differing opinions on various issues, but united by the belief that safeguarding democracy and the country’s constitution requires cross-party cooperation.
The group did not invite the Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR) to join, citing recent statements by ADR politicians that led them to believe the party would not endorse the new non-profit’s statutes.
These statutes emphasise respect for gender equality, protection of minorities, and support for closer European integration.
Danielle Filbig from the LSAP insisted, however, that the platform is "not a club against the ADR" and remains open to collaboration with other parties, including the Left, the Pirate Party, and Fokus.
Last year, young politicians from the CSV, DP, and LSAP had already sent an open letter to the Prime Minister and Speaker of the Chamber, and a so-called "stress test" of Luxembourg’s institutions was also carried out.
