8 and 12 December 2025

Question posed by Christa Brömmel

Education in citizenship and political participation is rightly considered to be crucial for the younger generation, and it begins in elementary school. Creating opportunities for pupils to meet politicians is part of this education.

According to Article 8 of the Grand Ducal Regulation of 7 May 2009 (as amended) on the rules of conduct and internal rules applicable to all schools (Règlement grand-ducal modifié du 7 mai 2009 concernant les règles de conduite et l'ordre intérieur communs à toutes les écoles), the mayor must be consulted before guests from outside the education system are allowed to appear at a school, and they must give their approval.

In June 2025, the MEP Tilly Metz (déi gréng) was refused entry to the elementary school in Bonnevoie, despite the fact that the European Parliament Liaison Office in Luxembourg had specifically chosen Ms Metz for this appearance as part of the European project "Lego Ligue", and that the teacher in question had submitted an application in advance.

One cannot help but notice that other politicians – and notably members of the College of Aldermen – visit elementary schools several times throughout the year, for instance for workshops, school festivities, tree plantings, and other educational activities.

- Can the College of Aldermen provide us with details on the applications for external appearances received in 2023, 2024 and 2025? How many applications were received? For which schools and which school cycles? What topics or projects did the external appearances pertain to?

- Which applications were granted, and which were denied?

- Can the College of Aldermen tell us what criteria are used to determine whether to grant or refuse approval? Are these criteria publicly available?

- Are applications for politicians and applications for private individuals treated in the same way? If not, why not?

- In the event of refusal, is the applicant (i.e. the teacher or the guest) given an explanation?

- Does this policy also apply to members of the College of Aldermen? If not, why not?

- Does the College of Aldermen believe that more education in citizenship and political participation is needed in Luxembourg City? If so, how does it intend to promote it?

Response provided by Alderman Paul Galles

This question is about a situation that arose quite some time ago. At the time, I took the time to speak with Tilly Metz to explain to her that there was nothing personal in the decision to not permit her to visit the school. I assume that Councillor Brömmel is more interested in the underlying principles.

All applications for appearances in schools by guests from outside the education system must be sent to the City or to the Regional Directorate (<em>Direction régionale</em>). If one of these authorities says no, the application will be rejected. In this particular case, the application was sent to the College of Aldermen. It was rejected because we follow a policy of "no political parties in schools".

The City department that handles these matters does not keep a list of applications, partly because of the work doing so would entail, but also because many applications are sent to the Regional Directorate, which means that two lists would have to be drawn up. But I can give you a few examples. Applications are submitted by students, occupational therapists and psychomotor therapists, for example. We also work with external partners, such as the "Kannerhaus" or "Elisabeth". Applications are submitted by various professionals, especially representatives from specialised education centres. Visits may be therapeutic interventions, events centred around cultural themes or preventive measures – "Bee Secure", police, etc. – or activities organised as part of the "school for parents" programme.

The City always approves applications when it considers that it is desirable and appropriate that the person in question be allowed access to a school building. The Regional Directorate must also approve the application to ensure that the proposed activity is tied to the school syllabus. It is the Regional Directorate that has the final say on appearances during school hours. However, if the municipal authorities refuse someone, the Regional Directorate will abide by that decision.

Things are different for representatives from the College of Aldermen and the Municipal Council, in that they have access to school buildings and schoolyards as part of their political activities and duties. But they must always seek the Regional Directorate's approval if they wish to visit a school during school hours. If I, as alderman in charge of education, need to enter a school building during school hours for any reason whatsoever – which is only ever the case for emergencies – I always apply to the Regional Directorate for approval beforehand. If I need to enter a school building outside school hours, I always notify the Regional Directorate even though I am not required to do so.

As far as educating children in citizenship and political participation is concerned, this is a topic that the College of Aldermen attaches particular importance to, but which goes beyond the issue of appearances by political parties in schools. The "MEGARE" project was implemented in the Gare district in collaboration with the Up-Foundation. This project will provide us with essential information on what we can also offer in other districts to get children more involved and make them feel more at home in their local district. In my view, there are two aspects to political participation: first, asking children for their opinion about everything that affects them, and second, sharing knowledge. We want to gradually introduce a "participation chain" in Cycle 3.2, i.e. the fourth year of schooling. This is the #menggemeng pilot project. As part of this project, classes come to City Hall and are provided with information on how the municipality is run. The children are also given the chance to express their views and wishes regarding their own district. The project also includes a small workshop – run jointly with the "Zentrum fir politesch Bildung" – on the vision children have for the city as a whole. We had some good experiences with the pilot project, and we now want to develop it further so that children understand that they are part of a city, and that their local district plays an important role in the wider municipality. In Cycle 4.1, we would like to organise conferences for children and introduce "district councils", to give children a chance to express their views on their districts. In Cycle 4.2, we have already introduced farewell parties to give children a chance to mark the end of their elementary schooling on a festive note, to thank them for the time they spent with us, and to stress the fact that they are always welcome in our municipality. That is a brief overview of what the City is doing, in addition to the curriculum of the Ministry of Education (<em>Ministère de l'Éducation nationale</em>).

Christa Brömmel (déi gréng): Can you confirm that the regulation I mentioned in my question is applicable?

Alderman Paul Galles:Yes, that regulation is applicable.

Question posed by François Benoy

To increase the modal share of cycling in the Luxembourg City – which is one of the goals set out in the City's Mobility Plan – developing cycling infrastructure that is isolated from motorised and pedestrian traffic is essential. However, bicycle lanes that are clearly marked with a distinctive colour can already go some way towards improving cyclist safety.

Minister for Mobility Yuriko Backes has repeatedly said that she believes that red surfacing on bicycle lanes is useful, and that she would like to implement this approach "as widely as possible", across the board. The DP minister refers to a representative survey carried out in 2023 by the Ministry of Mobility (<em>Ministère de la Mobilité</em>), according to which 71% of motorists and 80% of cyclists were in favour of such a measure, and were of the view that distinctive visual signage, such as in the Netherlands, would make it easier to identify and respect cycling infrastructure.

The government has introduced long, uninterrupted sections of red-marked cycle routes in Esch-sur-Alzette and Hesperange (Howald), whereas in Luxembourg City, red markings are only used in places that are considered particularly dangerous.

- What is the City's position on the minister's statements about using red surfacing "as widely as possible" on bicycle lanes?

- Does the City share the view that this measure goes some way towards improving safety, especially at dangerous intersections, but also on cycle routes running alongside roads (with no separators)?

- Has an analysis already been conducted on implementing this type of marking in Luxembourg City? If not, why not? If so, what is the provisional implementation schedule? What concrete actions are planned in the short, medium and long term?

As an example, here are a few spots that we feel are extremely dangerous for cyclists, and where it would be urgent to put down a red surfacing:

- one-way streets open to cyclists riding counter to the flow of traffic (e.g. <em>Côte d'Eich</em> in the city centre, <em>Rue de la Fonderie</em> and <em>Rue Adolphe Fischer</em>);

- the entire length of <em>Avenue de la Gare</em>, and particularly around the bus stop (for buses travelling towards Luxembourg Central Station) and where the avenue intersects with <em>Rue Bourbon</em>;

- <em>Boulevard Roosevelt</em>, especially in the vicinity of the British embassy;

- <em>Avenue de la Liberté</em>, especially where it intersects with <em>Rue Dicks</em> and <em>Rue de la Grève</em>, and <em>Place de Paris</em>;

- <em>Rue de Bonnevoie</em> (from the <em>Rocade</em> / <em>Les Rotondes</em>) and <em>Rue du Laboratoire</em> (along the City of Luxembourg's "Rocade" administrative building);

- <em>Avenue Marie-Thérèse</em>: along the section between the intersection with <em>Boulevard Prince Henri</em> and the intersection with <em>Boulevard Royal</em> (<em>Place de Bruxelles</em>, where a very serious accident occurred);

- <em>Boulevard Patton</em>;

- <em>Rue des Aubépines</em>;

- <em>Boulevard Pierre Dupong</em>;

- <em>Route d'Esch</em> (from "Porte de Hollerich", especially along the "Gaasperecherbierg").

And there are many more particularly dangerous spots in Luxembourg City that I could list. As I have already suggested, the markings don't have to be red. They could also be green (like in France), or blue.

I would like to take the opportunity to enquire about the progress of the integrated active mobility concept that was entrusted to the firm Gehl. The concept had initially been scheduled for delivery at the end of June 2025, but it still hasn't been published. Has the development of the concept been completed? When will it be published? Will it be published and made available in full, as the alderman for mobility has promised on several occasions?

Response provided by Alderman Patrick Goldschmidt

For many years, it has been the City's policy to use red markings only in places that are considered very dangerous. And we maintain that position. The first reason is that we do not want to trivialise the colour red, since motorists know that they must be especially vigilant in places marked in red. The second reason is that we want to take the urban environment into account: the colour red is better suited outside than within urban areas, particularly in areas with buildings listed as historical monuments or located in protected areas.

But the fact that we will continue to use the colour red only at particularly dangerous spots, does not mean the other colours can't be used. For instance, the College of Aldermen has decided to mark new cycles lanes in blue – like in Copenhagen, where the Gehl engineering office is based – to make them more visible for motorists and pedestrians. Blue markings will not only be used for new cycle lanes; they will also be used on the existing <em>Avenue de la Gare</em> route, where the risk of conflict between cyclists and pedestrians is high.

Councillor Benoy mentioned several other places in the city where he felt red markings were necessary. In one-way streets open to cyclists riding counter to the flow of traffic, the use of coloured marking is not possible, as these are "mixed-use" zones and the ministerial directives on signage are strictly adhered to. In <em>Rue de Bonnevoie</em> and <em>Boulevard Patton</em>, there are separate cycle lanes, so there are no danger zones that would warrant introducing coloured markings. In <em>Rue des Aubépines</em>, <em>Route d'Esch</em> and <em>Boulevard Pierre Dupong</em>, the lanes are advisory lanes and cannot be marked in red, since the cycle-lane part of the roadway can also be used by motorists and red markings would only confuse matters. On the other hand, in 2023, red markings were put in place on <em>Avenue Marie-Thérèse</em> between <em>Boulevard Prince Henri</em> and <em>Place de Bruxelles</em> to warn drivers changing lanes to look out for cyclists.

As far as the active mobility concept is concerned, this involves a report that is currently being prepared, and a series of concrete measures which have been presented to the College of Aldermen and which we will be presenting to the Mobility Committee (<em>Commission de la mobilité</em>) in January 2026. These measures include improvements at some of the spots mentioned by Councillor Benoy in his question. The City's <em>Service Circulation</em> (Traffic Department), along with other relevant City departments, has already started preparing a schedule for the rapid implementation of various measures in 2026.

I would like to stress that safety is very important to us and that there is no danger at all in cycling in Luxembourg City. Of course, improvements are needed, but more and more people are using bikes. In the last 18 months, there have been no fatal accidents, and I hope things will stay that way for many years to come. We will continue to work on improving cycling infrastructure in the months and years ahead.

François Benoy:I would like to thank the College of Aldermen for the improvements that have been announced. However, Alderman Goldschmidt did not answer my question about the active mobility concept produced by Gehl. Will it be published in full, as was the case for the Kirchberg district study?

Mayor Lydie Polfer:Once work on the concept is completed, it will be forwarded to the College of Aldermen for discussion, and then our conclusions will be passed on to the Municipal Council. There will still be many opportunities for us to discuss it.

Question posed by Marie-Marthe Muller

The "Sports pour tous" (Sports for All) programme is a fantastic City-driven scheme available to Luxembourg City residents, and even residents of other municipalities. Over the past 10 years or so, Luxembourg City has experienced significant demographic growth, so much so that the number of enrolments in the programme's 200+ courses is constantly on the rise. However, there are a number of issues with the registration system. The computerised system used for registrations now seems outdated, since our staff – who otherwise do an excellent job – can no longer provide registration and fee-payment information within a reasonable time frame. At the end of October, course instructors, enrolees and those who still wanted to enrol did not know how many people were actually enrolled and authorised to attend their courses. Knowing how many people have actually enrolled is important, not only because of capacity restrictions at our sports facilities for safety reasons, but also because the number of places is limited for certain courses, such as, for example, our aquatic courses. Because of this situation, many people have expressed dissatisfaction, and this is especially the case among those who have paid their enrolment fees for the whole season.

Bearing in mind that "Sports pour tous" activities play an important role in promoting a sense of community in our city, and that it is important to promote health across the entire population, including among the elderly and frail, we would like to put the following questions to the College of Aldermen:

• Is the College of Aldermen aware of the IT issues that the "Sports pour tous" department of the <em>Service Sports<em> has to contend with?
• Does the City plan to implement a new IT system so that those concerned can be informed of their registration status in a timelier manner?
• What are the existing procedures for registering for courses and paying enrolment fees?
• How are registrations for the various courses checked, and who carries out such checks?

Response provided by Alderwoman Simone Beissel

The "Sports pour tous" programme is increasingly popular. We offer more than 160 courses, both indoor and outdoor. There are more than 190 sports clubs in Luxembourg City. Our sports facilities are 98% booked every day from 6:00 to 23:00. It is becoming increasingly difficult for the <em>Service Sports</em> to accept all registration requests.

In 2023, the <em>Service Sports</em> suggested changing the tax regulations that apply to registration fees. Implementing that change required a number of changes in administrative procedures and in the software used. A company that the City has been working with for many years has made the required changes, and the new rates have been in force since this year. As is the case every year, the courses began on 1 October. The following week, I was informed that the rollout of the new software and the required changes in administrative procedures had caused delays, including in issuing invoices. Since the Ministry of Home Affairs (<em>Ministère des affaires intérieures<em>) stepped in, invoices are no longer issued by the <em>Service Sports</em> – as had been the case for decades – and are now issued by the <em>Service Recette communale</em> (City Treasury), which is already swamped with work. Issuing thousands of "Sports pour tous" invoices represents a substantial increase in their workload.

In principle, registration is now only possible through the City's website or myguichet.lu website, except for seniors, who can continue to register using a paper form. Registrations are processed in the following order: from 8 September, for Luxembourg City residents; from 17 September, for residents of neighbouring municipalities; and from 24 September, for all other applicants.

Applications are processed strictly according to the date and time they are received, regardless of whether the applicant has already been registered for a course, and regardless of their state of health. If a place is available, and if the forms are duly completed and the information provided is correct, the applicant will receive a positive reply.

Unlike general courses (and especially aquagym courses), places are usually available for specific courses intended for people with health issues. Enrolment lists are checked by instructors before the start of each class. If a place in a course becomes available, the next person on the list is notified by email (or by post, in the case of seniors).

Checks are carried out at several levels, i.e. by the <em>Service Sports</em>, the <em>Service Recette communale</em>, and the course instructors concerned.

This year, demand was so high that a considerable number of people who were interested in enrolling were unable to secure a place in the courses they wanted to enrol in. These applicants were placed on the waiting list. We are constantly improving the City's sports facilities, and plan to build several new sports halls and swimming pools. We are doing our best to provide people with a selection of courses that is best suited to their health.

Question posed by Christa Brömmel

Through its "Génération sans tabac" (Smoke-Free Generation) initiative, the <em>Fondation Cancer<em> (Cancer Foundation) is pursuing its goal of ensuring that today's children and teens grow up in a smoke-free environment and by 2040 become the first "smoke-free adult generation". The harmful effects of smoking and nicotine on health are well known. In Luxembourg, 16 municipal authorities have signed on to the "smoke-free municipality" charter. In doing so, they have signalled their support for the national "Smoke-Free Generation" strategy, which aims to reduce the number of smokers to less than 5% of the population by 2040. For instance, in signing on to the "Smoke-Free Generation" charter as a "Silver" partner, a municipal authority undertakes to incorporate this theme into at least one event held in the municipality, and to encourage local associations and sports clubs to help promote this strategy. All the information you need can be found on the <em>Fondation Cancer</em> website.

- Is the College of Aldermen aware that the City of Luxembourg can join the "Smoke-Free Generation" initiative?

- Is the College of Aldermen of the view that the City has a duty to help prevent, and protect against, the harmful effects of smoking and nicotine?

- Is the College of Aldermen prepared to help the city's youth exercise their right to grow up in a smoke-free environment?

- Is the College of Aldermen prepared to take steps to help denormalise smoking, and protect the population against passive smoking?

- Is the College of Aldermen considering applying for the "Smoke-Free municipality" label, thereby signalling its support for the "Smoke-Free Generation" strategy? If so, at which level of commitment: bronze, silver or gold?

- Does the College of Aldermen plan to task the Commission for Social Action, Inclusion and Elderly People (<em>Commission de l'Action sociale, de l'Inclusion et des Personnes âgées</em>) and the Committee on Children and Youth (<em>Commission de l'Enfance et de la Jeunesse</em>) with examining the question of joining the "Smoke-Free Generation" initiative?

Response provided by Alderman Maurice Bauer

I find it quite astonishing that such a question should come from a political party that, just a few years ago, came out in support of legalising cannabis. This strikes me as rather hypocritical.

But to answer the first question: Yes, we met with <em>Fondation Cancer</em> representatives on 29 January 2025 to discuss our joining the "Smoke-Free Generation" initiative, and cooperation with the foundation in general.

As is the case with other municipal authorities, the City of Luxembourg has a duty in terms of prevention. Pursuant to national legislation, a number of steps must be taken. As such, smoking is prohibited in the offices and public areas of municipal buildings.

The City didn't need to wait for the "Smoke-Free Generation" campaign to come along to play its part in ensuring that young people can grow up in a smoke-free environment. Since as early as 1998, the City has been involved in a number of awareness initiatives with <em>Fondation Cancer</em>, including the "Mission Nichtraucher" closing ceremony in <em>Place d'Armes</em>, which is organised jointly with the City's <em>Service Sports</em> (Sports Department), and which every year includes participants from high schools across the country. A major awareness event is scheduled to be held once again in the city centre, on 9 June 2026. Every two years, the City organises awareness weeks for its staff, with workshops and courses on health and safety, in which smoking is a regular topic. The next edition will be held in November 2026.

Since the City has a long and consistent history of collaboration with <em>Fondation Cancer</em> in the fight against smoking, we see no need at this stage to join the initiative you mentioned, to obtain that specific label. Consequently, your question as to whether the Commission for Social Action and the Committee on Children and Youth should examine this issue is irrelevant. Nevertheless, we are open to discussing everything the City is doing in this area at a committee meeting.