Delano June-July 2019 by Maison Moderne

No.66 JUNE/JULY 2019

28 SPACE SECTOR

Can Luxembourg conquer the stars? The political will is there, but can the grand duchy attract the finance and talent to make it happen?

40 FUNDS Denise Voss on the end of her tenure as Alfi chair

44 EUROPEAN ELECTIONS The political earthquake failed to materialise… what now?

5 453000 010015 66

€4

European Commission president

Experience required elections, what the European Commission needs right now is a leader who is unafraid to take tough decisions and with experience of the chicanery in the Berlaymont’s corridors of power. Denmark’s Margrethe Vestager fits both bills. She has chaired Ecofin meetings and, in her capacity as competition commissioner, has a fine record of taking on the powerful tech companies. The main argument against Vestager seems to come from MEPs who argue that she only announced that she was in the running for the top job once the results had shown the ALDE had made significant gains. After all, Vestager was its representative at the Spitzenkandidat debate of 15 May, well before the elections took place. In any case, as former Luxembourg MEP and cabinet minister Robert Goebbels points out, “the Spitzenkandidat system is an invention of [then socialist MEP] Martin Schulz” and had no real precedence before 2014. Frans Timmermans, the lead candidate of the Socialists and Democrats group to which Goebbels’s LSAP belongs, is another front-runner with experience and clout, and his stance on climate change and pollution could also earn him favour from the resurgent Greens. But the EPP’s Manfred Weber is a poor choice. He may be likeable, but he has no executive experience and his dithering over whether to expel Hungarian autocrat Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party from the EPP has stained his leadership. Luxembourg’s MEP Christophe Hansen, for instance, issued warnings that the CSV would quit the EPP grouping if Fidesz was still a member. In addition, there is wariness of choosing a commission president from one of the two main EP factions, whose popularity has waned at the polls in many countries. That could leave the field open to an outside choice like Michel Barnier, who could have been the EPP’s Spitzenkandidat back in 2014 if Jean-Claude Juncker had hung on to his premiership at the 2013 elections in Luxembourg. Some commentators see Barnier as a dark horse whose reputation among the EU27 has only been enhanced by his calm handling of Brexit negotiations. But being French could be a disadvantage for Barnier, just as coming from Germany limits Weber’s chances. Maybe this also gives Vestager an edge as not only the first woman, but also the first from a Nordic country.

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ILLUSTRATING DELANO

Our cover was drawn by Edward McGowan, whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Paste Magazine and Time Out, among other publications. ↳ www.cargocollective.com/ edwardmcgowan

Duncan Roberts Editor-in-chief

Letter from the editor

As the jockeying for the role of the EU’s top job continues after the EP

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June/July 2019 Reporting on the community

FEATURES

Analysis of business, the economy and politics

THE SOURCE

A guide to culture and lifestyle

K-POP TIL YOU DROP

Profile

BUDDING THESPIANS An increasing number of local secondary school graduates are pursing studies and careers in the performing arts

11 WALL MEDITATION

GETTING LIVES BACK ON TRACK

On stage

SUMMER FESTIVAL SEASON

14 NO MORE “FOMO”

16 GRETAS OF LUXEMBOURG

28 Cover story

Get the picture

CAN LUXEMBOURG CONQUER THE STARS? Ahead of Asteroid Days, Delano looks at the current state of the grand duchy’s space strategy

PLASTIC LAG A look at recycling in Luxembourg

In my suitcase

SOUTH AMERICAN STAGE What Natalia Sanchez brought when she moved here

20 Community spotlight

MUCKING IN

60 Real estate & workspace

40 STAYING RELEVANT Denise Voss looks back at her term as Alfi chair

MANAGING THE PROPERTY BOOM

44 64 WORKSPACE OF THE FUTURE

70 48 FAREWELL TO A GRAND DUKE Luxembourg pays its respects

24 Snapshots

COMMUNITY & NETWORKING EVENTS

GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY! Tips for easy gardening and our favourite lawn games

54 ITERATING AN EARTHQUAKE How much will blockchain technology shake up Luxembourg’s fund administration sector?

92 Restaurant review

CHALET AM BRILL

Interview

Kids page

A NEW CHAPTER IN PRIVACY

SUMMER IN THE CITY

22 A NEW FLAVOUR PROFILE

Special feature

HOUSING COST SQUEEZE

NEW DYNAMICS Analysis of May’s European Parliament elections at national and EU levels

Think local

In focus

Auntie Eleanor

SING WHEN YOU’RE WINNING

RUMINATING RUMINANTS No question is too sheepish for our advice columnist

Contents

THE JOURNAL

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Write to PO Box 728 L-2017 Luxembourg Offices 10 rue des Gaulois, Luxembourg-Bonnevoie ISSN 2220-5535 Web www.maisonmoderne.com Founder and chairman Mike Koedinger CEO Richard Karacian Administrative and financial director Etienne Velasti CONTENTS Phone (+352) 20 70 70-150 Fax (+352) 29 66 19 E-mail news@delano.lu Publisher Richard Karacian Editorial director Matthieu Croissandeau Editor-in-chief Duncan Roberts (duncan.roberts@maisonmoderne.com) Desk editor Aaron Grunwald (aaron.grunwald@maisonmoderne.com) Journalists Jess Bauldry (jessica.bauldry@maisonmoderne.com) Natalie Gerhardstein (natalie.gerhardstein@maisonmoderne.com) Contributor Stephen Evans Photography Marc Blasius, Nader Ghavami, Jan Hanrion, Pauline Hy, Lala La Photo, Patricia Pitsch, Mike Zenari, Matic Zorman Proofreading Pauline Berg, Lisa Cacciatore, Sarah Lambolez, Elena Sebastiani DESIGN Phone (+352) 20 70 70-200 Fax (+352) 27 62 12 62-84 E-mail agency@maisonmoderne.com Agency director Mathieu Mathelin Head of production Stéphanie Poras-Schwickerath Creative director Jeremy Leslie Head of art direction Vinzenz Hölzl Art director José Carsí Layout Oriane Pawlisiak (coordination), Tae Eun Kim, Julie Kotulski, Sascha Timplan ADVERTISING Phone (+352) 20 70 70-300 Fax (+352) 26 29 66 20 E-mail regie@maisonmoderne.com Partner-director, advertising sales Francis Gasparotto (francis.gasparotto@maisonmoderne.com) Sales manager Luciana Restivo (luciana.restivo@maisonmoderne.com) SUBSCRIPTIONS For subscriptions, please visit www.delano.lu Luxembourg (shipping included) 1 year / 7 issues / 25 euros Europe (shipping included) 1 year / 7 issues / 31 euros Printed by Imprimerie Centrale Distribution by Valora Services Luxembourg

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DELANO LIVE Each edition of Delano Live features live onstage interviews with people and on topics covered by Delano magazine, but with a fresh perspective. That’s followed by an open-bar and a bit of networking. 9 July, 18:30 Knokke Out 2 rue Emile Mousel L-2165 Luxembourg ↳ club.paperjam.lu

→

DIGITAL HIGHLIGHT In accordance with article 66 of the law of 08.06.2004 on the freedom of expression in the media: the company that publishes Delano is indirectly held, by a stake exceeding 25%, by Mike Koedinger, an independent editor registered in Luxembourg. Richard Karacian is chartered with daily management. Delano™ and Maison Moderne™ are trademarks used under licence by MM Publishing and Media S.A. © MM Publishing and Media S.A. (Luxembourg) NOTE TO OUR READERS Delano’s next print edition comes out 10 July. For daily news updates, commentary and our weekly what’s on guide, visit www.delano.lu.

Looking to diversify your agenda? Each Tuesday, Delano suggests “Ten things to do this week”. Check our website or sign up for the “Noon briefing” newsletter. ↳ www.delano.lu

CORRECTION In the April/May edition, our article on initial coin offerings mistakenly mentioned ICO plans by VNX Exchange. In fact, VNX Exchange is a Luxembourg-based platform for trading tokens in venture capital portfolios. The company has not solicited an ICO in itself. Apologies.

More Delano

09/07

PUBLISHER

The Journal Reporting on the community

JUNE/JULY 2019

Inge van Doorn and her mother, Jasmina, wearing their BTS fan shirts

K-pop til you drop Inge van Doorn and her mother, Jasmina, are two of four students taking a beginners’

Korean course at the Multi-Learn Institute in Bonnevoie. It was an interest sparked by their love of K-pop, a genre of music which originated in South Korea but has exploded on the international scene in recent years. On 13 April, boy band BTS--Inge and Jasmina’s favourite K-pop group--debuted on “Saturday Night Live” in New York City and, according to Forbes, in two months in 2018 alone, the group had over 36 million mentions on Twitter. Jasmina was the one who found the

Korean class, as she had been curious about the lyrics (although BTS tunes also use some English). “Inge got me into K-pop, but I got her into the Korean lessons.” Inge’s love for K-pop is, in part, due to her interest in K-dramas, “Descendants of the Sun” being one of her favourites. She showed her mother the series, and her mother was hooked. “As I got into K-dramas, I started listening to the music and found it really interesting,” Inge says. She was drawn to the group Exo, calling their music and choreography “amazing, completely different from American-style music”.

Last year at age 17, Inge attended a BTS show in Amsterdam with some friends--other members of the BTS Army, as their fans are known. Inge raves about the atmosphere: “We do these group chants and have ‘army bombs’ [BTS official light sticks]… the fans and the band really work together.” For a graduation present, Jasmina treated Inge and herself to VIP tickets for the 2 June show at Wembley Stadium in London, part of the band’s “Love Yourself: Speak Yourself” tour. The tickets include access to a three-song sound →

Education

↑ Claire Nuttall The St George’s International School primary head teacher speaking to Delano about the launch of the WomenEd BeLux group for female educators in Luxembourg.

check and cost £235 each, but Inge confirms “that’s actually cheap”--not because of what BTS is charging, but because of scalpers. Inge says, “people buy them and resell them for four to five times the price, the highest one sold around £4,000. It’s so unfair. These young kids want to see their idols, and they get ripped off for tickets.” Jasmina, 51, is just as excited to go to the concert as Inge, saying the BTS appeal isn’t just the music. “It’s the whole package--how they work together, the looks, fashion, music, videos, dancing.” The mother-daughter duo also praises the group’s evolution. In 2014, BTS offered a free concert for 200 people to promote their music, whereas last year, it only took minutes to sell out at London’s O2 Arena. “A lot of journalists wrote they would never make it big, but that’s one of the parts I love about them… they’ve come a long way, but people tend to forget that,” Inge says. After graduation, Inge will head to the University for the Creative Arts in Rochester in the UK, where she hopes she can eventually do an exchange programme in South Korea. She’s excited about exploring its “forward” fashion. Despite having some friends supportive of her taste of music, Inge says in the past others joked about her love of K-pop. She calls the music “a wake-up call”, adding: “I was a bit unsure of who I was before I listened to K-pop and used to be a bit of an outsider. [BTS] really helped me, and now I’m finally at the stage that I know who I am and am proud of who I am.” ×

words photo

Natalie A. Gerhardstein Patricia Pitsch

Jobseekers and hobbyists are learning an ancient craft

Wall meditation Between the patter of rain on a blue tarpaulin

spread over the heads of a handful of trainees can be heard the clink of hammer on chisel on stone. It’s a musical backdrop for an unexpected scene in the Luxembourg Moselle Valley. But this hardy group are more than a mere one-off curiosity. They are participants in one of a series of ten-day dry stone walling courses, aimed at reviving a craft that died out 50 years ago. “Here, we’ve a lot of dry stone walls in vineyards that have been neglected since the 1950s,” coordinator of the dry stone

walls in the Greater Region project Pascal Armborst explains. “We didn’t have the skills. But now there are so many people asking for these types of skills, we don’t have a choice.” The €2m EU Interreg project training dry stone wallers to build and restore walls in Belgium, France and Luxembourg began in 2016 and runs until 2020. In Luxembourg, it is coordinated by Natur&ëmwelt, the Naturpark Mëllerdall and the Biologische Station Sias, which together have helped train scores of people, from private individuals to →

The Journal

“The aim is very much to support women. As simple as that. To try to encourage and support women in leadership.”

↳ www.naturemwelt.lu

words

Jess Bauldry photo Mike Zenari

In numbers

Facts & figures about Luxembourg

20.1 years

7,148

↑

AVERAGE AGE OF LEAVING

BRITISH NATIONALS

PARENTAL HOUSEHOLD

LIVING IN LUXEMBOURG

Young people in Luxembourg were

There were 5,766 UK citizens and 1,382

the second youngest in the EU, on average,

British-Luxembourg double nationals residing

to leave the nest in 2017.

in the grand duchy at the beginning of 2019.

3rd

0.18%

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BEST LGBTI RIGHTS

REVENUE FROM

IN EUROPE

PROPERTY TAX

Luxembourg rose 17 places on a list

The Luxembourg state collected the least

of European countries that safeguard

amount of revenue in property levies as a

the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual,

proportion of its total tax take out of the OECD

transgender and intersex people.

group of 36 wealthier countries in 2016.

Sources → Eurostat → Statec → “Rainbow Europe 2019” published by ILGA-Europe → OECD

JUNE/JULY 2019

craftspeople, and even jobseekers as part of a job reinsertion programme with Adem. Besides the social aspect, the project brings environmental benefits. Dry stone walls on the vineyard-covered terraces of the Moselle create a microclimate by storing heat, which is ideal for maturing grapes. What is more, they help with drainage, for example, in the event of heavy downpours. And the tiny crevices in the wall’s rocks provide the perfect habitat for insects, which can feed on parasites and pollinate plants. The team I meet in May is restoring a dry stone wall footpath which was constructed hundreds of years ago in Greiveldange. Trainees stare at the wall, lug reclaimed stones and chip away at them to achieve the perfect fit. “You understand why people invented bricks!” Stefanie Hildebrand, one of the trainees, says. She wanted to learn the technique to use it in her farmhouse home. Hildebrand describes the process as like “playing Tetris with heavy bricks”. The work is not only physical but requires a great deal of thought in understanding how to get the right tension between stones so that the wall is stable and can last another few hundred years. “It’s frustrating and very slow,” Hildebrand says, after being told to start a section of wall again. Wells of patience are essential to hone this skill, which trainer Jean-Philippe Piret describes as a kind of “meditation”. Piret learned the techniques 20 years ago, “when no-one was talking about dry stone walling”. Today, he is one of just five teachers in the whole of Belgium. He has taught at different locations in Luxembourg where dry stone walls are found, including the Mullerthal Park. “You have to take pleasure from it. […] You have to concentrate, be in your bubble, choose the right stone. It doesn’t fit? Never mind, you reshape it. You know it will take time,” Piret explains. Of course, the trainees won’t be experts at the end of the ten-day course. “You need several months spent working on different techniques and with different types of stones in different regions,” Armborst says. While finance for the project ends in 2020, all parties hope that it will continue. “We’re in talks with the environment ministry to receive subsidies when we build or restore a dry stone wall. […] Because it costs a lot. It’s a lot of manpower,” Marc Thill of the Station Biologique Sias explains. “But it lasts for a long time,” adds Armborst. ×

In context

Sheep in Kirchberg, 3 May

The animals keep grass short while preserving biodiversity. A rep for Fonds Kirchberg said the sheep will be back in September.

Photo → Fonds Kirchberg

The Journal

Syrian entrepreneurs Saleem Najjar and Rami Alattar in the Lhoft building that houses their fintech startup

Getting lives back on track The Yapip offices at the Luxembourg House of Financial Technology are a world away

from the first offices of Saleem Najjar and Rami Alattar. Back when they started in 2009, the entrepreneurs were using dial-up connection to operate two websites from a flat in Damascus. They have not forgotten their roots, and helping other displaced Syrians take the next step in their lives is the focus of their latest business venture--an application providing trading advice and an auto-investing feature.

The entrepreneurs met in 2009 just as the Damascus Securities Exchange, the only stock exchange in Syria, had begun. They launched Syria Stocks, a trading tips and analysis website about Arab stock markets. The pair then created an online directory for all the restaurants in Damascus, listing their menus, prices and public reviews. “In 2010, we won the Shell Petrol entrepreneurship programme prize,” Najjar explained. “We had zero knowledge of the notion of entrepreneurship or startups. We only started because

we thought we could build something instead of working for other people.” With just one million internet users in Syria at the time, part of the challenge was convincing users of the benefits of the internet. “We had 2,000 users. They were older people and didn’t know how to use the internet.” By the second year, the projects were starting to generate revenue. But things got messy. During a business trip to Jordan in 2012, Najjar became stuck. As the main provider for his mother, sister and disabled brother, →

JUNE/JULY 2019

his solution was to bring his family to Jordan. But there, he was forced to put his entrepreneurial dreams on hold. He found work for an e-commerce firm and picked up the skills that would lead to his first social enterprise. “I started providing consulting to Syrians who were refugees in Jordan to start a business. I noticed how many Syrian artists there were who don’t do anything,” Najjar said. The war destroyed much of Syria’s traditional craft heritage as displaced craftspeople fled to neighbouring countries where they lacked access to the marketplaces they used before. Najjar founded Sharqi, a “social enterprise platform helping Syrian artisans export and promote their products outside of Jordan”. Alattar was less fortunate. His mother was kidnapped and he still does not know where she is. He continued trading online and operated his application “Syrian Exchange Prices”, providing local currency services. He lived in several countries before he was fingered as an enemy of the state for contradicting the official line of the Syrian Central Bank. “I got death threats […] a lot of articles were published without any evidence saying ‘this guy is trying to destroy everything’”. Alattar fled to Luxembourg where he applied and received international protection. Eight months later, he established a business training displaced Syrians to trade on European stock markets. Last year, he contacted Najjar again, to start a new fintech startup. Desperate to leave Jordan, Najjar accepted. He landed a visa and booked a flight to Brussels in July 2018, which he almost missed because of the numerous restrictions on Syrian travel from Jordan. “We met for the first time in five years. It was very emotional. We both cried,” Najjar recalls. The two launched their proof of concept on Google Play and were finalists for the TechStars accelerator. Life is good. “I feel how safe it is here because even though I have war in my country or the fourth-worst passport in the world, for the first time in years, I have the feeling I’m treated as a human without putting me in a category as a refugee or a Syrian,” Najjar said. × ↳ www.yapip.com

words photo

Jess Bauldry Patrica Pitsch/Maison Moderne

Karsten Stragies outside of the Luxembourg Airport in Findel

No more “fomo” This September, Luxembourg resident Karsten Stragies plans on heading to

Transnistria, a primarily unrecognised state which split off from Moldova after the USSR was dissolved. He’ll be going to experience its Independence Day celebrations, which includes a Soviet-style military parade, along with vehicles from that era, and a Cossack-style barbecue. “Besides the national holiday celebrations, I’m looking forward to the socialist architecture, the many opulent statues and war memorials,” Stragies says. “The place looks like a surreal socialist theme park… I’m drawn to its uniqueness.” The trip will likely take place over a long weekend, around five days in total. Although he wanted to combine the trip with a visit to Moldova, all of his holiday time was already allocated.

It won’t be the first time Stragies is visiting an offbeat place. Last year, he was one of the tens of thousands to attend the military parade and mass games in Pyongyang, North Korea, on 9 September, marking the 70th anniversary of the country’s founding. But he may have stood out: he was wearing a Luxembourg Football Federation shirt bearing the double-tailed red lion emblem. He even caught a glimpse of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, at the mass games held at the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium. Stragies says it was easy to see how the country got swept up in the propaganda-fuelled day, especially given this was the first time North Korea had held its mass games in five years. “It was so mesmerising. Of course, it’s all propaganda, but many had tears in their →

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JUNE/JULY 2019

eyes,” he says. “There were thousands of little kids doing pirouettes and somersaults, and you can imagine how difficult it would be to have children behave like that in such a big group.” Tourists to North Korea are required to take a guided tour. Stragies had joined with the tour operator in China, but he had left Luxembourg even before knowing whether his entry visa to North Korea would be approved. As of 2013, tourists have been allowed to carry their mobile phones with them, although these are carefully checked upon exiting the country. Stragies said he was actually more nervous leaving the country than entering it: his phone had picked up the Chinese signal at the border, and he saw a text from his girlfriend checking if he was alright. What’s more, he had snuck one of each of the won banknotes into a pair of packed trousers--not in his wallet, intentionally, given that it is illegal to take currency out of the country. Normally, however, Stragies also has no problem travelling without tour guides. Within the last five years, he has travelled to Iran, Israel and the West Bank, Georgia and Armenia, to name a few. And some ten years ago, he took the Trans-Siberian Railway throughout Russia, Mongolia and China. But his biggest regrets? “I never went to East Germany, the DDR when it existed, or to the USSR, or Yugoslavia,” he says. “And I’ll never be able to go to those places. I felt major ‘fomo’ [fear of missing out] about those.” Now 37, Stragies said he wants to travel to offbeat places while he still can, knowing that one day, if he starts a family, he will have “less liberty, so I can save the ‘normal’ places for later”. ×

Students Moritz Ruhstaller and Zélie Guisset want concrete action on climate change

Gretas of Luxembourg Straight-talking climate activist Greta Thunberg has been hailed as a role model

words photo

Natalie A. Gerhardstein Matic Zorman

for student activism after initiating the school strike for climate movement. But she’s not the only young change maker--Luxembourg has Gretas of its own. 24-year-old Tanja Duprez threw herself into the environmental debate in 2017 when she joined the young greens while at university in Brussels. “I saw so much about what’s going on in the world: about climate change and its effects, it was quite a quick decision to get involved,” the Luxembourger recalls. It pushed her to pursue a master’s in political sciences and run for the European elections with the green party, Déi Gréng. “I knew I wanted to be engaged but I’m not a born politician […] It’s not easy for me to speak in public,” she says. Duprez is learning by doing,

following new research, and being the change she wants to see, for example, by using public transport and changing her consumption habits. She says seeing the response to the Fridays for Future youth demonstrations inspired by Thunberg strengthened her resolve, particularly the Luxembourg strike on 15 March, in which over 10,000 young people participated. Students Zélie Guisset, 17, and Moritz Ruhstaller, 18, were among the organisers who first met on social media and formed Youth for Climate Luxembourg. “It was quite difficult. There was a lot of work that went into coming together,” Ruhstaller, a Canadian-Swiss-Luxembourger, laughs recalling the “chaotic” Facebook messenger group. They held face to face meetings, agreed on the movement’s structure (flat hierarchy) and divvied up tasks. →

words photo

Jess Bauldry Pauline Hy/Maison Moderne

Fact file

Useful and random information about Luxembourg

The grand duke’s “official birthday”, 23 June, is Luxembourg’s national day. But Grand Duke Henri was actually born on 16 April. Source: Information and Press Service

Luxembourg was the first of nine nations where Jeff Aug performed on 3 March 2012; he holds the world record for “most concerts performed in different countries in 24 hours”. Source: Guinness World Records

Luxembourg’s population was 47% foreigners as of 1 January 2019. Source: Statec

The Journal

The march exceeded all expectations, but attracted criticism nonetheless. After the march, critics nitpicked at the messages on placards (one read “Fuck me, not the planet”), disapproved of the fact some students left the march to eat at McDonald’s, and claimed students left rubbish in place Guillaume. “I think most of the criticism was on specific points and not on our goal itself, the real reason we were doing this,” Guisset, a Belgian national, says. The movement aimed to launch a public discussion. “I think that we definitely did achieve,” Ruhstaller says. In a second stage, members have agreed values, which centre around putting the environment and wellbeing of the population at the heart of all policy. Their vision, meanwhile, is for Luxembourg to become a pioneer for sustainable countries. In March, they had discussions with the DP prime minister Xavier Bettel, who says he will continue the dialogue with schools. But the pair are sceptical and see the government’s offer as a way to dilute the movement’s strength in numbers. “In the end, our goal is to have concrete action on climate change. It’s not happening. Carbon levels are still rising, and they are not doing enough,” says Guisset. While action is slow, climate policies are being enacted. The introduction of free public transport from 1 March 2020 could help reduce carbon emissions. Green finance initiatives are growing while subsidies are offered to encourage people to buy vehicles using non-fossil fuels. But political will and courage is lacking in other areas, notably in relation to fuel tourism. While impatient for change, Duprez is realistic about the challenges of climate politics. She says: “I think the most controversial part is how to get to the zero emissions goals.” She acknowledges that in some rural pockets, like her home commune of Troisvierges, her party cannot even establish a presence. But a fresh voice in a vacuum can sometimes be a powerful tool. “I think that’s also why my voice was heard, or people were surprised and wanted to know more,” she says. ×

In my suitcase

Expats share what they brought when they moved to Luxembourg Chilean

JUNE/JULY 2019

South American stage words

photos

← Ekeko This little man is like a pagan god from Altiplano whom people ask for prosperity in exchange for a cigarette. “I’m not a religious person but I believe in connection with nature and Pachamama, Mother Earth,” says Sanchez. “I have it more out of respect for the culture, for the indigenous cultures we had before the Spanish came.” Sanchez warns that single women shouldn’t have one--he gets jealous!

Jess Bauldry Matic Zorman

Manta Chilota This waterproof poncho is made from hand-woven lamb’s wool and is worn while walking. “It connects me to a place I lived called Chiloé, on an island. It’s a place full of legends and myths. That’s the magic of this area,” says Sanchez. ↓

NATALIA SANCHEZ

↑ Pisco An alcoholic drink made in the north valley of Elqui from distilled grapes. Pisco is like grappa, only with a better taste, Sanchez reckons. “You can make pisco sour from it, which is a bit like a margarita.”

Chilean theatre teacher and project manager Natalia Sanchez spoke just Spanish when she moved to Germany in 2006; she moved to Luxembourg the next year. Today she speaks French, English and Luxembourgish, languages which she uses in her job, organising heritage and educational performances. Sanchez chose Luxembourg after meeting the artist Wil Lofy. She then met her husband, started a family, completed a masters in learning and development in multilingual and multicultural contexts at the University of Luxembourg and expanded her career there. Born in Temuco, Sanchez grew up in Puerto Montt an only child. Her parents took her to shows and music concerts, which heavily influenced her passion and career. Sanchez later brought her mother over, not to mention several objects that anchor her to her homeland, where her father still lives. ↳ www.kultrun.lu ↳ www.yolandin.lu

The Journal

← Mapuche jewellery The Mapuche were indigenous people who resisted 500 years of Spanish attempts to conquer them. This piece from Araucania is made from old coins which were hammered by hand. It is traditionally worn around the forehead.

Maté This little cup contains a metal straw which people drink maté from to take away hunger. People in Chile drink maté socially with friends or family and will clean the straw before passing it on for the next person to drink from. ↓ ↑ “Chile Actua” Translated as “Chile is acting”, this compilation tells the history of the great theatre masters and actors of Chile during the last 100 years. “It’s important in terms of knowledge but also for emotional attachment. It shows where I came from, where I learned theatre,” says Sanchez. ↑ Mapuche costume This long, black jumper with hand-woven belt comes from Araucania.

Illustration → Sascha Timplan

←

WHAT I REGRET LEAVING BEHIND The musicians “In Chile music is made at home and it’s an oral tradition. People play everywhere: in the street, the bath, they will play at home, at a party. It’s more spontaneous!”

Community Spotlight

Meet the people who add zest to life in Luxembourg

New Zealanders

Mucking in JUNE/JULY 2019

hen Genna Elvin and her husband hit a snag starting their data insights company in Belgium, they did want most Kiwis do--used a bit of “number 8 wire”. The expression refers to the MacGyver-style fixes Kiwis find when encountering problems. In Elvin’s case, the solution was to pitch Tadaweb at the first ICT Spring in Luxembourg, bringing them to the grand duchy. The number 8 fix is not the only Kiwi value Elvin holds dear. Since starting out in 2011 at the age of 22, the Waiheke island-born tech entrepreneur has brought the best of New Zealand into her life in Luxembourg and vice versa. She bakes every Sunday for staff: “In New Zealand, a big thing that’s important is thanking people with cakes,” she says. And she gives back.

As part of her mission to help young people achieve their potential, Elvin has created a STEM higher education scholarship for a handful of girls in New Zealand. She uses her experience as a young entrepreneur to empower others, speaking at events such as TEDx last year. Furthermore, as a co-founder of the Australia and New Zealand Chamber of Commerce Luxembourg, Elvin is helping to solve the talent shortage in Luxembourg, among other things. “That’s one of my personal drivers--how to get talent not going to London but to Luxembourg.” The newly created chamber aims to promote Luxembourg to the two countries as a post-Brexit European hub for business. Elvin sees Luxembourg as an easy sell because of the similarities it shares with New Zealand in terms →

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SIMON NEALE One of 56 Kiwis living in Luxembourg, Neale is pictured coaching the Luxembourg touch rugby section of Rugby Club Luxembourg Rugby Club Luxembourg

←

GENNA ELVIN The entrepreneur, advocate for young people in STEM and trade exchange between Luxembourg and New Zealand

of size, multiculturalism and complementary activities. Promoting New Zealand comes naturally to Elvin, who cites the national response to the March 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings as proof of a peaceful, empathetic people. “Within the first 2-3 days, citizens gave over NZ $5m to help the victims and I think the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, managed to change a horrible and ghastly situation into a showcase on how to lead effectively.” Elvin is prepared to put in the leg work to bridge the 19,000km between the two countries. Last year, she gave the keynote speech at the CEO New Zealand seminar. “It was strange. It was the first time I’ve ever worked at home. I always go back and lie on the beach,”

she laughed. The contacts she made will also serve her when she eventually moves back. For father-of-one and All Blacks fan Simon Neale, landlocked Luxembourg and his home town of Auckland could not be more different. Growing up the son of a lifeguard, he recalls his childhood weekends spent at the beach, body boarding and enjoying the outdoors. “It’s something that’s maybe a bit harder to do in Luxembourg with the weather,” and the lack of a coastline, he says. Despite these differences, Neale found a little bridge to his home in the touch rugby section of the Rugby Club Luxembourg. Considered a “softer” version of rugby league with the tackles removed, touch originated in Australia

WHERE TO MEET KIWIS

words

photos

Jess Bauldry Mike Zenari

SHOWCASE

TOUCH RUGBY

NEW ZEALAND EMBASSY

↳ www.touch-luxembourg.lu

9 avenue des Nerviens,

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LUXEMBOURG ASBL

↳ www.mft.govt.nz

1040 Etterbeek, Brussels, Belgium

hello@anzccl.lu ↳ www.anzccl.lu

LUXEMBOURG AUSSIE AND KIWI MEETUP

Photo → Shutterstock

↳ www.meetup.com

NEW ZEALAND-LUXEMBOURG STUDENT VISA Under a working holiday visa, Luxembourgers aged 18-30 can work in New Zealand for up to 12 months, or study or train for up to 6 months, and vice versa

Auckland, located in the North Island of New Zealand, is home to around a third of the country’s 4.7 million inhabitants. Simon Neale says, wherever you are in Auckland, you’re normally fewer than 20 minutes away from a beach. ↳ www.immigration.govt.nz

The Journal

@GennaElvin

and is taught in schools in New Zealand. But it wasn’t there that Neale caught the touch bug. “At school, I was cricket mad. It was only when I went to university I had a friend keen on rugby who invited me to play touch with his mates,” he says. Neale did a five-year work stint in Dublin where he began playing touch more seriously and also met his French wife. After a few years in New Zealand, the two moved to Luxembourg in 2015 for her job. With a background in funds, Neale quickly landed work and has even convinced his colleagues to enter teams in the friendly tournaments the club organises. Today, Neale is a player-coach at a club that boasts an international mix of players, from Kiwis to French, South Africans and Italians. “I think it would be hard adjusting to the lifestyle if I didn’t have touch rugby to give me something to spend my spare time doing,” he says. He explains that it is part of the Kiwi mentality to “muck in”, which he does in abundance, using his Kiwi can-do attitude to push players to compete in tournaments all over the continent. “Playing touch on an international level, I wouldn’t be able to do that in New Zealand because the standard is a lot higher,” he says, adding: “It’s cool to say I play touch for the national team.” ×

Think Local

Expats who have truly integrated into local life

Rajendra Gauchan/Nepali

A new flavour profile JUNE/JULY 2019

↑

RESTO-CUM-MUSEUM At Manang Mustang, Rajendra Gauchan is always eager to talk with locals about each object from Nepal decorating the dining room--from a handmade mask (above), to his Dhaka topi (or men’s cap) and several kinds of sarangi (bowed musical instruments). ↳ www.manangmustang.lu

“There’s a really good community here, good people.”

ajendra Gauchan thinks being an expat in Luxembourg could be lonely for those with a quiet disposition. Gregarious by nature, he often steps out of the kitchen at the Manang Mustang restaurant, where he’s owner and chef, to chat with diners in English, German, French or Italian. “Speaking many languages gives me a really good advantage here,” he says. Manang Mustang opened end 2018 and is the first Nepali restaurant in Grevenmacher. Now that Gauchan’s there (he previously worked out of Hesperange), many clients have followed him to the Moselle valley town to enjoy his food. He estimates 65% of his clients are locals, adding: “A lot of Luxembourgish clients have become good friends.” Gauchan has been in Luxembourg for four years, his second stint here. As integrated as he feels, he likes new discoveries too. This autumn, he’ll be at his first Wine and Grape Festival, which takes place in Grevenmacher every September. “Luxembourg City is so multicultural,” he says. “Grevenmacher is quieter, but there’s a really good community here, good people.” From northern Nepal’s Mustang district, Gauchan specialises in Thakali cuisine. He says there are some 300 Nepali living in the grand duchy but that he’s the only one from this ethnolinguistic group--the Thakali constitute less than 1% of Nepal’s total population. “We don’t use heavy gravy; the food’s fresh, light. Luxembourgers like it because it’s about quality, not quantity,” he says. He always enjoyed cooking, joking that, as a child, “I used to play with knives”. It’s through taste that he has also integrated: he works with three local suppliers to source products but also travels around for good food. “I really love boudin noir [blood sausage]. For that, you have to go to the north of the country.” ×

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Snapshots

Highlights from the international community and networking events

50th anniversary

The British Ladies Club of Luxembourg marked its golden jubilee in style, JUNE/JULY 2019

4 May. ↳ www.blc.lu

photos 4

Lala La Photo 1 Melissa Grozinger and Sofia Kaiser 2 Gaile Fretwell, Nikki Hollis, Deborah Radcliffe and Lynda Jacob 3 British ambassador John Marshall with Enid Isaac 4 Mark, Yvonne and Zack Houston having their photo taken 5 Min and Jack 6 Doreen Gardner, honorary president Cynthia Albrecht and Jo Anne Moeller 5

Find more events Check Delano’s digital agenda for the latest happenings: ↳ www.delano.lu/agenda

Saving Europe Delano Live previewed May’s European elections with a panel of MEP candidates, 2 April. ↳ www.delano.lu

photos

Jan Hanrion/Maison Moderne

Bangladesh delegation Delano’s editor-in-chief, Duncan Roberts, welcomed representatives of a Bangladesh trade mission to Maison Moderne, the company that publishes Delano (they also visited Cargolux, Jan de Nul and SES), 3 May. ↳ www.mofa.gov.bd

photos

Marc Blasius/Maison Moderne

1 Maison Moderne’s Stéphanie Poras shows the Bangladesh delegation around the production studio 2 Anisuddin A Khan, Salahuddin Kasem Khan, Salahdin Irshad Imam, Pauline Vogel, Thierry Reisch, Nasreen Zamir, Duncan Roberts, Sonia Bashir Kabir, Irshad Hossain and Violaine Mathurin 3 Irshad Hossain and Nasreen Zamir 4 Visiting the newsroom

The Journal

Marta Vacca Veselá Christopher Lilyblad, George Penn and Daniel Isaksson listen to the panel discussion 3 Christophe Hansen of the CSV, Fiona Godfrey of the Volt Luxembourg political party and Joanne Goebbels of the LSAP speak on the panel 4 Larissa Molyakova 1

Green architecture

Hope walk

From post-apocalyptic time travelling to earthships and

The inaugural Darkness Into Light

archaeology, speakers at Paperjam Club’s 10x6 architecture

Luxembourg attracted a sell-out

event took a broad view on environmental challenges

crowd, not bad for an event

and developments, 7 May.

that started on a rainy Saturday

↳ www.archiduc.lu

morning at 4am, 11 May. ↳ www.darknessintolight.ie

JUNE/JULY 2019

photos

Darkness Into Light/ Alfonso Salgueiro & Ian Sanderson 1 David Determe, Nicoleta Puscasu, Asta Gerhardt, Cyrille Gerhardt and Mandy Raach 2 Céline Coubray, editor-in-chief of Archiduc and event moderator, speaks at the Théâtre d’Esch 3 Yves Lahaye, Nicolas Dufour, Fabrice Ciach and Louis Dupont

1 On the final stretch along the boulevard Roosevelt 2 Volunteers distribute T-shirts 3 Irish ambassador Peadar Carpenter 4 Time for a selfie in Clausen 5 Dr Fränz D’Onghia (on left) addresses participants before the walk, which aimed to raise awareness about suicide and self-harm

photos

Jan Hanrion/ Maison Moderne

ISL graduation The International School of Luxembourg had plenty of cause for celebration as 100 students from 27 countries comprised the 2019 graduating class, 25 May. ↳ www.islux.lu

Caps off! ISL’s first father and son alumni: Omar and Luka Hoek 1

photos ISL

TUE

09 JUL

The international community meets for real conversation

â&#x2020;&#x2019; Members are invited to join the Club and Delano teams and their guests. Registration required at club.paperjam.lu

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JUNE/JULY 2019

Ahead of Asteroid Days, Delano looks at the current state of the grand duchy’s strategy for the space sector. We speak with experts about developments in private finance, the new startups looking to create value and the launch of a new interdisciplinary space master programme. Coupled with the country’s pioneering role in asteroid resources and space governance, all the indicators suggest Luxembourg is making significant progress in its ambitions to boldly explore economic diversity out of this world.

CONQUER THE STARS?

words

Jess Bauldry, Natalie A. Gerhardstein, Aaron Grunwald and Duncan Roberts

photos

Matic Zorman

Cover story

CAN LUXEMBOURG

Asteroid Day 2019

JUNE/JULY 2019

NO LONGER THE REALM OF SCIENCE FICTION This year’s Asteroid Day events in Luxembourg have again attracted a star-studded line-up of astronauts, scientists and humanitarians. They will explore subjects including the threat from asteroids and in-situ resource utilisation.

steroid Day was co-founded by astrophysicist and Queen guitarist Dr Brian May, Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart, filmmaker Grig Richters and B612 president Danica Remy to promote awareness and provide knowledge to the general public about the importance of asteroids in the formation of our universe and the role they play in our solar system today. Luxembourg became the headquarters of the Asteroid Foundation when Georges Schmit, then the general consul for Luxembourg in San Francisco, met the founders of Asteroid Day. “At the time, it didn’t have a real home,” Schmit explains. “Brian May is a citizen of the world, always on the road; Grig Richters, who was coordinating local initiatives around the world, was living in London.” As Luxembourg was developing and promoting its space resources sector, part of whose aim was to attract new companies to the grand duchy and also to raise awareness and education about asteroids and other celestial bodies, it seemed like a natural fit. “Because of the ecosystem surrounding space resources, it is ideal for Luxembourg to be a home to the Asteroid Foundation,” Schmit says. The educational aspect of Asteroid Day is a key to the future, according to Schmit. He explains that although we all learn

about the planets at a relatively early age, general knowledge regarding asteroids is limited. “There are millions in the asteroid belt and several 100,000 in near-earth orbit, but we have only identified around 17,000 of them,” he says. THREAT OF IMPACT

He thinks children as young as primary school age can learn about asteroids. “They can learn as soon as they learn about dinosaurs. They have common fates, I guess,” Schmit says with a wry smile. “That doesn’t mean as a foundation that we want to scare people. But the reality is there.” After all, Asteroid Day is scheduled each year during the week of 30 June, the anniversary of the largest asteroid impact on Earth in recorded history, the so-called Tunguska event in what is now Russia in 1908. A whole string of people are taking the potential threat of a near-earth object colliding with our planet very seriously. Schmit and Schweickart are among thousands of astronauts, scientists, artists and celebrities--ranging from Brian Cox to Whoopi Goldberg--to have signed the “100x Declaration”. This calls for increasing the asteroid discovery rate to 100,000 (or 100x) per year within the next 10 years. “All kinds of people feel it’s important we give more attention to the threat,” Schmit says. Slowly, governments are paying attention, and some have initiated projects to deal with the risk of

MEET THE ASTRONAUTS There are a series of events for the industry, sponsors and school students during the three-day programme. The main public event takes place on Saturday 29 June at noon at the Cercle Cité. This is a meet and greet family event offering visitors a chance to talk with astronauts, scientists and experts. ↳ www.asteroidday.org

asteroid impact. Nasa, for instance, is targeting 2020 to launch its Double Asteroid Redirection Test against the smaller of the binary near-Earth asteroid Didymos. If launched on time next year, the spacecraft is set to deliberately smash into an asteroid in the autumn of 2022. However, the Asteroid Foundation wants to provide a positive message that there are also opportunities and not just threats from asteroids. Becoming an asteroid scientist could be a project for life, says Schmit. As well as Luxembourg, the Japanese government and private companies are among those looking at opportunities, he says. The conference will hear some very interesting stuff from Patrick Michel from the Côte d’Azur Observatory who is working closely with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) on its Hayabusa2 mission. The possibilities of space exploration in the future are unfathomable. It is, after all, only 62 years since the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite, Sputnik, in 1957, Schmit says. The suggestion is that ideas that were the stuff of science fiction back in 1957 have become reality, and who is to say what science fiction ideas of today will be fully realised by 2079? “Continued solar system exploration, particularly if it is to involve humans--manned spacecraft or even settlement--will need to rely on asteroids and their resources.” Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, for example, wants his Blue Origin space services company to build so-called “O’Neill colonies”, enormous spinning cylinders taken from Princeton physicist Gerard O’Neill. The idea has been dismissed by rival Elon Musk, who tweeted in mid-May that the challenge of building space colonies of that size “would be like trying to build the USA in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean”. But Musk, who has his own plans for a vast satellite-based internet network called Spacelink, has said that humanity must become multiplanetary in order to survive. And he has acknowledged that any future settlement by humans of space, of the sort being touted by Bezos, would require the “transport of vast amounts of mass from planets/moons/asteroids”. THINKING BEYOND

Other space transportation companies, including United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, are also trying to get in on the act. “These people are thinking beyond,” says Schmit. “The key force that is preventing us from doing more is the cost of launch from

Cover story

PLANETARY SETTLEMENT

↑

Georges Schmit

Member advisory board Spaceresources.lu and chair Asteroid Foundation

MORE SPACE EVENTS IN LUXEMBOURG 11TH EUROPEAN CUBESAT SYMPOSIUM The University of Luxembourg and partners host an academic forum for specialists in “cubesats”, a type of nanosatellite favoured by many researchers.

Earth because of gravity.” So why not use space resources and launch from outside Earth’s gravitational pull? This so-called in-situ resource utilisation is already being explored by Nasa for launches, but also for the manufacture in space of things like solar cells from materials, such as silicon and aluminium, found in lunar soil. Schmit admits that space mining is a term that can give cause to misunderstanding, because it has connotations with exploitation, destruction and “ripping off riches”. “Bringing back resources to encourage the richness of the few is not something we will see in my lifetime, and it is certainly not the focus of anyone who is involved in space resources exploration and utilisation,” says Schmit. “The main focus will be using resources in space for further space exploration and settlement. There are two main objectives, to keep machinery going and to keep human life going.”

11-13 September 2019 Belval campus ↳ www.cubesatsymposium.eu

NEWSPACE EUROPE 2019 This edition of the Luxembourg Space Agency conference will centre on “ways to stimulate growth in communications, remote sensing, investment, Earth-orbit economy, and lunar economy”. 13-14 November 2019 European Convention Center ↳ www.newspace-europe.lu

GOVSATCOM Organised by SES and partners, this is one of the main confabs for defence and security communications held in the EU. 20 February 2020 European Convention Center ↳ www.govsatcom.lu

JUNE/JULY 2019

T Interview

LSA PLOTS TRAJECTORY Marc Serres explains why the Luxembourg Space Agency, which is part of the economy ministry, “launched” in September 2018.

he launch of the agency was more of a rebrand; it was previously an administrative unit within the economy ministry. The fact that it sits in the economy ministry is a marked difference with most of its international counterparts, which are usually housed in research or science ministries, said Marc Serres, the LSA’s CEO. That’s because the government’s space policy aims “to contribute to the diversification of our economy”. The goal of its cornerstone initiative since 2016, Spaceresources.lu, is to attract asteroid mining outfits and other companies tapping extraterrestrial resources to set up shop in Luxembourg. This is a long-term strategy and echoes an earlier gamble that has paid off, according to Serres. “It’s a bit like what happened with SES 30 years ago when they decided to create something new in Luxembourg. And here, with space resources, we are already preparing Luxembourg for the next, I don’t know, maybe 20 years or so. And hopefully, in 20 or 30 years, we will have a similar success with this initiative that we had with SES.” Just how big could the space resources get? “It’s difficult to know, but sometimes the minister [of the economy and deputy prime minister Étienne Schneider of the LSAP] says he would like to double its proportion of the GDP.” Currently, it represents about 1.8% of the economy, “and he mentioned a few times that he sees it being 5% within the next 10 years. I also learned that some people have the understanding that, when we communicate about that, we want even to replace the financial sector, which is about one third [of the economy] today. So, can the space sector be as big as the financial sector? Probably not during

Cover story

“ So can the space sector be as big as the financial sector? ” Marc Serres CEO Luxembourg Space Agency

the time I will be CEO, but who knows. I mean, this initiative on space resources is ‘the bet’. We did it in the 60s with the steel industry. And at that time, I think it was nearly 40% of GDP.” So, if the bet pays off, “using the resources of space… could become, one day, a very important part of the economic value in Luxembourg. But this is, of course, longer term.” Closer to now, nine companies “have created around 70 new jobs,” since the new campaign began in 2016, stated Serres. If their growth plans pan out, that could add “potentially 400 new jobs within the next three years or so, which is significant. We started in 2015 with about 700 people working in space here in Luxembourg. So that would [mean], within 10 years, we have increased the size of the sector by 50%, if it materialises.” SPACE DATE CENTRE

The agency has also invested in creating its LSA Data Center, “operational since the beginning of the year”, with “three or four companies and research centres” already customers. The data centre piggybacks on the European Space Agency’s Copernicus programme, which the ESA said in

January generates “terabytes of data every day making Copernicus the biggest provider of Earth observation data in the world”. All of that data is open access, available to all-comers, Serres noted. But the LSA Data Centre marries “a certain subset” of commercially useful Copernicus data with other data sources--such as “optical data”--and with the European high-performance computing capabilities currently being developed in Luxembourg. The goal is to provide “something unique to the companies that need data to deliver their services and products”. LOOKING AHEAD

Serres said Luxembourg’s government is currently working on a new national space plan which will be completed in “October or November”. Right now, officials are “reviewing, taking some lessons learned from what we’ve done and looking at the need to create new initiatives”. Details are likely to be discussed during the ESA ministers’ summit that will be held in Seville this November. Until then, Serres said the LSA will continue “talking with companies; trying to attract new ones here, helping those that are here to grow”.

INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCES In addition to pan-EU cooperation via the European Space Agency, Luxembourg’s government has inked several memoranda of understanding with other countries. “The first one we signed” outside of Europe was with the United Arab Emirates, said Marc Serres. Then came agreements with Japan, China and the US. Moscow expressed interest during a visit by Russian cabinet ministers in March. “And there are discussions with other countries” in progress, stated Serres. Luxembourg also has direct deals with Belgium, the Czech Republic, Poland and Portugal. The reason for the flurry of memoranda, even with fellow ESA members, is that there is no EU-level framework for commercial space concerns; and at the UN-level, space is still considered a “national matter”, Serres stated. Plus, each signing brings a burst of publicity in both countries that “gives visibility” to the space resources sector.

Education

JUNE/JULY 2019

AN EARLY START FOR SPACE STUDIES The University of Luxembourg’s interdisciplinary space master programme kicks off this autumn.

W ↑

Tonie van Dam

Vice-rector of strategic projects and director interdisciplinary space master programme University of Luxembourg

hen Delano caught up with vice-rector of strategic projects and director of the programme, Tonie van Dam--just over a week before she won the prestigious 2019 Vening Meinesz medal by the European Geosciences Union for her geodesy work--she was having another productive week, sifting through applications and confirming lecturers for the ISM. At the time of writing, the programme had received 36 applications, and nearly all the lecturers were confirmed: they include University of Luxembourg professors, plus additional experts from the International Space University, Colorado School of Mines, Tohoku University, German Aerospace Center (DLR), OHB, SES, L uxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, European Space Agency, Luxembourg Space Agency (co-financer of the programme) and Spire. Van Dam calls the ISM an “elite” programme. In its first term, it will accept 20 students, at a price of €2,000 per semester. “We want to start small to make sure we’re flexible and agile enough to make changes, and it’s easier to do it with a lower mass of people,” she says, adding that she aims to get monthly feedback in order to be able to react as quickly as possible. ISM promises a high calibre of lecturers and education. Those who attend “will get three top-of-the-range laboratories to work in as well,” adds van Dam. “We expect our laboratories to be so good that we’ll be able to attract research collaboration with industry.” Students are also expected to do an internship with one of a

number of companies, most of which are based in Luxembourg. Supporting the ISM is the economy ministry, where van Dam had just been before our meeting. “We brainstormed about how we could get some scholarships for industry that would cover more than just tuition,” she said. “Tuition isn’t the problem, it’s the cost of living in Luxembourg, even with student housing.” The discussion was in part due to the range of locations where the applicants are based, including South America (including one individual with Luxembourg nationality based in Brazil) and Bangladesh, a country in which even the top universities place low in world rankings. “I’m empathetic with the problems in those countries and would really like to help them,” she says. “I think we have to build our reputation first and develop scholarships for students from poorer countries to be able to come, for those who are qualified.” LOCAL TALENT

There are other challenges too: in addition to the country having “a huge problem with the number of women researchers”, van Dam estimates that around 50% of uni students at the bachelor’s level are non-Luxembourgers, but that this figure rises to around 90% at the PhD level. “Ideally, we would be introducing these things at the primary school level, starting to get more space studies into the curriculum of primary and secondary school, all the lycées, to make sure that Luxembourg nationals are able to compete with international students.” But her overall outlook is positive. “It’s a matter of tying what we teach at the uni… making sure they know this is happening and giving them an idea on how to prepare.” She smiles, adding: “I’m hopeful.”

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Finance

JUNE/JULY 2019

RETURN ON SPACE Luxembourg’s economy ministry wants its space sector to generate 5% GDP in future, up from 2% now. To achieve that it would need to find a satellite operator like SES. Has it already?

uxembourg has around 50 new space companies, a number that was greatly boosted by the 2016 launch of the Spaceresources.lu initiative. Their activities are diverse, covering satellites for Earth observation, entertainment, communications or defence, components, space exploration, space resources and data analytics activities for terrestrial applications. MOMENTUM

“They [the economy ministry] use space resources like F1 in the car industry. The most advanced are doing asteroid mining. This created a lot of momentum,” co-founder of the Luxembourg Space Tech Angels Fabrice Testa says. “This allowed the country to attract some other players like Kleos and Hydrosat, which are not space resources companies but who came anyway.” Many already have an established reputation in the industry. A recent Newspace People ranking of global space race visionaries featured at number 1 Niels Buus, of nanosatellite firm Gomspace, which has a Luxembourg subsidiary. Kyle Acierno, former managing director of lunar microbiotics firm Ispace Europe, ranked 27th. Meanwhile Jason Dunn, the director and co-founder of Made in Space, placed at 44. His firm, which is opening a research

THE SKY IS THE LIMIT

Despite the influx, Luxembourg is a long way off reaching saturation point on innovative new space companies, suggests Testa. “There are so many problems on Earth with the climate, water management and disasters, for example. […] Today, there’s a lot of data that’s not exploited enough,” he explains. Among the companies working in under-explored subsegments, he cites Spire Global. At the end of 2018, it was the first firm to partner with the European Space Agency to use the EU’s Galileo constellation to gather advanced weather data. According to CNBC, this data will be worth $2.7bn over the next 25 years to Spire. While the barriers to entry for space activities have fallen dramatically thanks to technological advances, depending on the type of activity, new space firms may take years to turn a profit. As a result, some need substantial investment at different stages of their development and not only from national institutions. Luxembourg learned this to its detriment when the state invested €25m, including €12m in direct capital investment, in asteroid mining firm Planetary Resources in 2016. Two years later, financial difficulties

INVESTMENTS IN SPACE Investment magnitude in US and non-US space startups by number of investors and number of recipients. US

Non-US

Total investment $2,622.8M $1,994.0M

$610.3M

$562.1M

2017

2018

Seed & venture investment $2,198.8M $1,664.5M $595.3M

$526.6M

2017

2018

Number of investors 88

92 2018

2017

Number of recipients 43

2017

2018

Source → Bryce Space and Technology, “Startup Space 2019” report

and manufacture facility in Luxembourg, develops robotic devices for in-space construction of structures for future human habitation.

forced it to refocus its activities on mini Earth observation satellites before it was bought out by blockchain firm ConsenSys Inc. in November 2018 and left Luxembourg.

LUXEMBOURG INVESTMENT

Luxembourg is further proof that tech finance is not limited to the US. In 2016, the economy ministry earmarked €200m for space activities, of which €40m have been spent in developing the sector through R&D funding via the LuxImpulse programme. The Luxembourg Space Tech Angels will also play a role in the seedstage investment. Testa himself bought a minority stock in energy firm Maana Electric. The Luxembourg Space Fund, scheduled to launch in the second half of 2019, is expected to provide some €100m in public-private venture capital for seed or Series A new space companies via an alternative investment fund. The vehicle, in which the government previously said it would take a 40% share, has faced criticism for being too small. But industry experts say something is better than nothing. “The Luxembourg Space Fund will be important to kickstart ‘early-stage companies’ at seed stage, but it has to have a defined destination,” says Germany-based Space Ventures Investors chief Simon Drake. He says its success will partly be down to the selection of startups it finances. “A fund is a portfolio and a balanced one at that. So, a space fund will inevitably have to decide between managing a portfolio or becoming the machine of

Cover story

A FOLLY?

Critics have pointed to the Planetary Resources loss as a sign that the diversification was a folly, especially since many firms struggle to raise needed finance. As founder and CEO of Cloudeo Manfred Kirschke said during a roundtable at the Space Forum at ICT Spring 2019, raising money for space “was always hard”. Over his career, he estimated that he has helped raise €350m, through private equity and bank loans. “But never VC money. I think it’s still difficult. You have to have a good story,” he said. That said, judging by last year’s record high space investment levels, which Bryce Space and Technology calculated at $3.23 bn, the sector is gaining traction with risk-tolerant investors. Admittedly, the lion’s share went to Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin ($750m), but what is interesting for Luxembourg firms is that space investors outside of the US are growing as are investments in non-US firms, as the chart overleaf shows.

change,” he adds. Testa is more concerned about the lack of venture capital for space technology in Europe in general but such vehicles are growing. In 2017, UK-based Seraphim Capital was the world’s first venture fund to focus on space technology with a £70m space fund. Incidentally, it invests in Luxembourg-based Spire. GROWTH STAGE

It’s not just the early-stage space companies that struggle for finance. Globally, the sector is underinvested by some €1bn per year, according to CEO and managing partner of private equity NewSpace Capital Bogdan Gogulan. He says more finance is acutely needed for the Series C+ growth stage companies. “We’re demystifying this market for investors by showing that 70% of companies that operate in this market are at growth stage,” he says of the growth finance firm, which he launched in Luxembourg in 2018. “Many [of these businesses] have been around 10, 15 or 20 years and now they’re facing a rapidly expanding market, a high capital expenditure market and they need working capital.” He expects more private equity firm specialised in space to follow as investor interest grows. And there is considerable confidence it will grow. Co-founder of Cryptology Asset Group Joram Voelklein said at the Space Forum at ICT Spring that now is exactly the right time to invest in space. “I think it’s the first point in time where investors can look at this sector, do good investments and really make money out of this.” COMPLETING THE PUZZLE

The pieces for a sustainable space sector in Luxembourg are gradually falling into place. Whether the various financial vehicles are enough to sustain the companies until they can stand alone, as Testa says of the Luxembourg Space Fund, “they can always fundraise another round”. Gogulan says that the regulatory framework created by Luxembourg in 2017 has helped bolster investor confidence in space technology. What is more, he points out that Luxembourg is not alone in this venture--know-how and other space actors located in neighbouring countries also add to the value chain and the sector’s sustainability. And, even if the country struggles to nudge its space sector to 5% of GDP, there are other measures of success. “There are indirect returns for Luxembourg, hiring people creates an economic activity in Luxembourg. Creating IP knowledge […] that will also generate revenue,” said Testa.

“ We’re demystifying this market for investors ” Bogdan Gogulan CEO and managing partner of private equity NewSpace Capital

Space governance

JUNE/JULY 2019

KICKSTARTING THE LEGAL DEBATE Luxembourg and the United States are the only two countries to have addressed property rights in space in legal texts.

here is very little governance in space, not many international laws deal with space,” says Georges Schmit. Luxembourg says that resources from space are susceptible to appropriation. The international Outer Space Treaty of 1967 has since been signed by 108 countries, including Luxembourg, and basically says that celestial bodies, including the moon, cannot be appropriated and that they can only be used for peaceful purposes. The less significant Moon Treaty of 1979, which has only been ratified by 18 countries who don’t engage in self-launched manned space exploration, differs from the 1967 treaty in that it states space is the common heritage of all mankind, rather than the province of mankind, Schmit explains. The two schools of thought on appropriation of resources differ in their interpretation of the treaties. Some say the non-appropriation is implied by the clause that says nations cannot exert sovereignty on celestial bodies, while others say it is not explicit. The lack of clarity on governance is one of three key topics being discussed by the United Nations in Vienna. The other significant areas of debate include space traffic management and space debris. “Luxembourg deserves some merit for having started the debate about the governance of space resources,” says Schmit, who sits on the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. The committee is setting up a working group to specifically find solutions that could be envisaged by governments

Space Cafe

to some of the pertinent challenges surrounding governance. “What is important is that humanity keeps investing,” says Schmit. This could be private or public--though Schmit favours the commercial approach as public investment is not very efficient. Property rights, rules for exploration including sustainability, dealing with utilisation and peacefulness, the authorisation of private missions (the Luxembourg law contains 15 articles on this) are all being discussed. “States do have responsibility,” says Schmit. Three other significant treaties are also worth mentioning. The Rescue Agreement deals with the return of astronauts and objects from outer space, with signatories agreeing to notify the launching authority and the UN if they become aware that the personnel of a spacecraft are in distress and also to provide all possible assistance to rescue the personnel of a spacecraft that has landed in their territory. Luxembourg is in the process of ratifying this and, b ecause it manages satellites via SES, has already ratified the Liability Convention in which launch states agree to pay compensation for damage caused by space objects on the surface of the Earth or to aircraft, and liable for damage due to its faults in space. Finally, there is the Registration Convention to make identifiable objects that are launched into space. Luxembourg has been de facto registering its launch objects and notifying the UN, but is still in the process of ratifying this convention.

CROSS-POLLINATION FOR NEW SPACE SECTOR

Before bringing Space Cafe to Luxembourg, Ispace Europe managing director Kyle Acierno (pictured) had attended one in Tokyo, Japan. The international initiative, which has its roots in Washington, launched last year in Luxembourg, with an aim to “build an accessible knowledge bridge for those inside and outside of the industry”, according to Acierno. Generally, Space Cafe events are based around two talks, 15 minutes each, with topics ranging from science and engineering, commercialisation, to politics-even art in space. While the events are informative, keeping participants in tune with key industry developments, “we try to make it light-hearted… There’s even a game element to it,” Acierno says, referring to the trivia component of past events. Each event provides a networking opportunity, with some professionals merely looking for ways to break into the sector as their next career move. And, given that there’s a “huge need from companies for new talent”, there are plenty of opportunities for employers as well. The Space Cafe holds five to six events each year. The next one takes place mid-Juiy. Luxembourg Space Cafe

Anne Canel, Managing Director of HLD Associés Europe, and Jürgen Bösken, Senior Relationship Manager at BIL

ADVERTORIAL

INVESTMENT FUND

HLD nurtures European gems with BIL Managed from Luxembourg by HLD Associés Europe’s Board of Directors, the HLD Europe Private Equity fund invests in highly promising companies throughout Europe. Anne Canel, Managing Director and CFO of HLD Associés Europe, explained how the Luxembourg marketplace helps fulfil the strong ambitions of this investment structure to the benefit of entrepreneurs. Ms Canel, could you briefly introduce HLD group? HLD was founded in 2011 by three French businessmen with a strong entrepreneurial spirit: Jean-Philippe Hecketsweiler, Jean-Bernard Lafonta and Philippe Donnet (now CEO of Generali). Their goal was to create an investment fund that would acquire majority interests in European companies from various business sectors, without time constraints, and with the intention of developing them further. With this in mind, they attracted shareholders from some of the biggest names in the French and then European economy, providing an initial investment capital of EUR 40 million. Their first acquisitions were Laboratoires Filorga (now for sale with an estimated valuation of around EUR 1 billion) and Interflora. milliard d’euros) et Interflora.

500 million HLD Europe’s private equity investment capacity per year.

Why, in 2015, did HLD decide on Luxembourg to register and manage its investment fund? This was part of the business internationalisation strategy aimed at pursuing the founders’ bold plans. France was not big enough for an ambitious development capital portfolio. The choice of Luxembourg was based on a series of encounters. It turned out that we work well together. The country’s advantages as a financial marketplace were already well known to the founders: its neutrality, multicultural identity, ability to host a Europe-wide project as well as the toolbox for alternative investment funds. It took time to convince them on the capacity of the marketplace to build and manage investment operations from Luxembourg. Luxembourg is often primarily considered as a centre for fund domiciliation and administration… That’s true, fund administration is a real Luxembourg speciality but we also managed to show that it has

much more to offer. From the outset, major Luxembourg entrepreneurs – Robert Dennewald and Xavier Buck – agreed to join the Board of Directors to debate and take investment decisions. Across the Board, a team boasting a wide array of skills was brought together to monitor the fund’s activities and investments. The Luxembourg ecosystem has also provided us with partners such as BIL, eager to help us with our entrepreneurial project. How does a bank like BIL support your endeavours? Right from the beginning, BIL acted as custodian to our fund and then shortly after asked to help us set up deals in various ways by providing a credit facility, issuing bridge loans, arranging fixed-term deposits and handling accounts. BIL also supports our companies’ growth by issuing loans to finance their development. HLD Associés Europe has also called on BIL Manage Invest (BMI), a third-party management company, to tackle the regulatory challenges facing alternative funds and those relating to the supervision and valuation of assets, risk management, and portfolio management. What value does a partner like BIL add? The BIL team listens to our needs and collaborates with us to find the bestsolutions for our development. This is the case with HLD, for example; for which BIL granted its first bridge loan for a fund with private investors.. We are happy to have found a partner like BIL in Luxembourg, whose customised, rational approach is helping us to achieve our goals.

EUROPEAN VISION HLD Europe hopes to gain majority interests in European companies in a bid to unlock their potential. Present in Luxembourg, Milan, Paris and Zurich, the group holds stakes in prestigious companies including Filorga, SVR, Coyote, Elivie, Tessi, Tranoï and Kiloutou, representing EUR 2 billion of total revenue, and 17,000 employees. Together they generate organic growth of more than 12%.

“HLD is a demanding and important client for the bank, with strong development potential. Our special relationship has led to us finding the best solutions for each challenge encountered. While HLD initially contacted BIL for custody services, we were able to demonstrate that the bank’s various areas of expertise, within the BIL group in general and BIL Manage Invest in particular, would allow us to provide more comprehensive support.” Jürgen Bösken Senior Relationship Manager at BIL

With the help of experts who know your market inside out, we design elaborate products and develop innovative solutions that meet the needs of small, medium-sized and large enterprises, freelancers and other self-employed individuals.

Together for you

Banque Internationale à Luxembourg SA, 69 route d'Esch, L-2953 Luxembourg, RCS Luxembourg B-6307 - T: 4590-1 www.bil.com

June 2019

After four years as chairman of the Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry, Denise Voss talks about the success of Ucits, the type of fund that forms the backbone of the industry here, and reaching out to the next generation of investors and employees.

JUNE/JULY 2019

interview

Funds

Relevant to the younger generation words

Aaron Grunwald

photos

Matic Zorman

enise Voss will end her tenure as chair and as a board member of the Association of Luxembourg Fund Industry after its annual general meeting mid-June, having reached Alfi term limits. But stepping aside is a “positive” thing, she told Delano. “It’s important to get new blood.” She spoke with Delano about her chairmanship in May. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

market share of Luxembourg in Europe is still very strong. And we reached new record assets under management at the end of March [2019]. We have €4.35trn. So I think, from that perspective, we’ve been doing well. We’ve obviously also focused quite a lot on alternative investment funds and we’ve been doing quite well there, in terms of the increasing percentage of investments into alternative funds.

Looking back at the past four years, from your perspective, what have been the biggest accomplishments?

What else would you point to as a success?

aaron grunwald

It’s difficult to actually figure out what was the biggest, [but] in terms of assets under management, we reached €4trn in three years versus €3trn [in 2014]. And also importantly, I think, the denise voss

We celebrated the 30th anniversary of Ucits and we celebrated the 30th anniversary of Alfi as an association, so obviously [the industry] having made it all happen from the introduction of the Ucits name, [and the anniversary] was obviously a time to reflect

on the importance of all the work that the whole ecosystem has done since 1988, including the Luxembourg government and how important their support has been. I guess if I wanted to be remembered for something, it would be, and people wouldn’t be surprised to hear that, my focus on investor education and financial education. So I was extremely happy the way that in the celebration of Alfi’s 30th anniversary, we didn’t focus on ourselves. Actually, we focused on Luxembourg and financial education in Luxembourg. Which is a bit unique for us because traditionally, you know, Luxembourg is a small country. We always look outside for business. And we’ve done something from the beginning and the result is where we are today, the second-largest fund centre in the world, but it’s also important to look in →

Funds

“ We have to explain what our industry is about.”

Luxembourg to ensure that [people here] understand what we, as a fund centre, do. Where could you have made more progress?

JUNE/JULY 2019

Actually, there have been a number of regtech solutions that have been developed. It’s not exciting stuff, but it helps to make our companies more efficient, basically. [For example] there are some projects like KYC, know your customer, data. [Currently] this is an exercise where everyone does it manually. So is there not a way to kind of mutualise a bit just the actual access to the documentation, so “passports”? I mean, obviously, in a secure environment. So that’s something that’s being worked on. But now, the technical part’s not a challenge, I think it’s more the governance part. Say you have a group of companies that want to actually be able to share KYC documentation. How do you do that from a governance perspective? That’s always the challenge. Do you create an ASBL [not-for-profit]? Do you create an economic interest group? What other challenges will your successors on the board face?

Alfi has been actually quite active already for the last decade in sustainable finance and, well, I would say ESG [environmental, social and governance] and responsible investing. And we have a good market share in that. But obviously, that’s a huge opportunity, looking at the European action plan for sustainable finance, based on the Cop21 Paris accord and the like. So I think that we’ve done some good work so far, but that will be a huge challenge for the next board. Among investors, who is the most excited about green finance and sustainable projects? Is it--I don’t know, I’m making this up here--Dutch pension funds?

A lot of the pension funds in Scandinavia and in the Netherlands as well, France too… those are the ones who are investing. Obviously, there’s a whole group of youths who are very excited [but] for the moment, from an investing perspective, it’s definitely at the institutional investor [level] and it’s definitely the pension funds. You mentioned to me earlier that younger people are enthusiastic about tackling climate change. Do you think that’s a good way to get them interested in investment funds?

That’s what some people say actually. It certainly can be, yes, you’re right. I like to use the comment that people would rather go to the dentist than know about investing in investment funds. But soon that has to change, because people will be

more responsible for their own financial well-being and investment funds--pooling people’s money together and having that money being invested by expert portfolio managers--that’s a solution that the EU wants to continue to put forward. [So] I think that is an interesting way to get to people. You know, make the planet a better place to be and [help] the human race to have a chance of actually existing after X number of decades, then, yeah, I think that can be an interesting way to get people’s attention and to make them not think an investment fund is the last thing they want to hear about. It could be an interesting way to make the case, if you will, that you can invest for your own personal future, but at the same time, you’re doing good for the planet.

→

DENISE VOSS Born in Los Angeles, Denise Voss “grew up in upstate New York... went to university in Boston and then worked there for 10 years afterwards. And then did a twoyear exchange with Coopers & Lybrand to Coopers & Lybrand Luxembourg, [and that was] 30 years ago.” Today, Voss is a director and conducting officer at Franklin Templeton, where she has worked since 1995. She was elected to the Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry board of directors in 2007, becoming a vice chair in 2011 and chair in 2015. Her mandate ends in June. ↳ www.alfi.lu

And what do you think it would take to make the case? I mean, do you need to sell Ucits via Facebook or totally change the business model?

That’s something else that the industry is working on. I would say that [today] our distribution framework is only basically through intermediaries, through banks or insurance companies or financial advisors, and asset managers are actively looking at how do we reach the next generation of investors. I don’t necessarily see any results yet, but I know asset managers are working on it because I think they realised after maybe thinking “we don’t want direct investors, we don’t want people coming to us directly”, they’ve realised that, just by looking at the way their children interact with the world, they need to be able to do that. So it’s whether it’s Facebook or Instagram or whatever. You’ve seen the developments of robo-advisors and those can be quite engaging. So it’s actually quite positive. I think those kinds of robo-advice and websites are an opportunity to be engaging and maybe through gamification even to help people learn about financial literacy and financial education. As opposed to a professor sitting in a classroom, you know. So I think digital is quite an opportunity. And one of the things I worry about, and I say, is I think we should not assume that, as an industry, we’re actually relevant to the younger generation. We shouldn’t assume it. Because we need them as investors, but we need them as employees as well. In terms of developing talent, what needs to be done?

If I look at Luxembourg, we’re going from an environment where when you joined an asset management company, you start at the ground, you do your net asset value calculation or [at] a transfer agency,

you’re inputting into the transfer agency system subscriptions or redemptions. That doesn’t happen in Luxembourg really that much anymore. Now, the people we need are the control people, we need compliance officers, we need internal auditors, we need risk managers, we need people running the management companies, we need lawyers, we need people generally with some experience. I mean, there are some entry-level jobs, but there may be fewer entry level jobs versus the past. So one concern is how you train the sort of expert leaders of the future, if you don’t have a training ground. So where could they get experience? Or is it just better training?

There needs to be an element of training. Maybe what’s positive is we have an

Funds

industry now which is, after 30 years, much bigger than it was even 20 years ago, so we have… a bigger pool of people that we can kind of train and retrain than we had in the past. But we have digitalisation. So I mean the thing is we have technology and we’re actually looking at transactions and even using robotics to take away some of the mundane tasks, if you will. [But] when we do that, we have to make sure though that we still understand how those tasks are done… and the rules around them. Another element of talent that I mentioned was the fact that we do want to be attractive as employers to a younger generation. We need the leaders. And unfortunately, I think the younger generation thinks that-if they have an opinion about the investment fund industry--it’s just for rich people. So

that’s obviously a barrier. I’ve been told this by more than one young person.

Are you happy that, for four years, there were a lot of women in Luxembourg who saw that Denise Voss was the chair of Alfi?

They don’t want to work in an industry like that?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I tell them… it’s important that you women, as women, raise your hands, that you be willing to get out of your comfort zone. Take a risk, which isn’t perhaps not necessarily what traditionally society told us to do.

Well, they’re not attracted by it. We have to explain what our industry is about, the values of our industry, what we stand for, and actually your point about combining saving the planet with investment funds is obviously one way to explain the value of our industry, what we can do, what we have the potential to do as an industry. But we need to do that. And I don’t necessarily see us doing it very well. Well, number one, we’re still a bit pale, male and stale in terms of our leadership. And that doesn’t help. We need to keep obviously moving forward in the diversity end of things.

Is the Luxembourg fund industry a good industry for women to work in?

Yes, definitely. But it’s true that it would be nice to see some more women in leadership positions. ×

44 essay

European politics

JUNE/JULY 2019

New dynamics in European and Luxembourg politics Modern consumers now expect choice when they go shopping. Similarly, modern voters are pickier these days. Where once we tended to be happy to support big centre-right or centre-left blocs, now our political choices are more nuanced and personal. This had an impact on the May 2019 European Parliament elections. words

uxembourg’s electorate responded to the broad political currents influencing the continent in the 26 May European elections. The country’s size and population mix means it is inevitably exposed to these ideas via the media and personal contacts. Nevertheless, the country’s traditional moderation and practicality means it tends to be more suspicious of parties with particularly lively rhetoric. Rising fragmentation

Europe’s traditional centre-right and centre-left parties are coming under strain as voters refine their choices. In our rough calculations (see graph on opposite page), both these groupings are down 6%-7% on their 2014 number of MEPs. Vigorously, nationalistic parties saw their representation in the European Parliament rise by about 5%. Such parties are in government in Italy and Hungary, and are influential in France, the UK and Spain. Yet the biggest increase in May 2019 (around 6.5%) was recorded by the Liberals (in the European sense of the term, i.e., centrist). This movement is exemplified by the French president Emmanuel Macron who is seeking to build a pan-European coalition of like-minded parties. Green parties were more popular than ever with a

Stephen Evans

3% increase. Meanwhile the far left slipped backwards by more than 1%. More populists, more centrists, more Greens

These scores need to be interpreted with caution, however. “These elections are not about forming a government, they’re about voters seeking to give a voice at the EU level to diverse opinions,” noted Philippe Poirier, assistant professor in political science at the University of Luxembourg. It is also worth noting that groups such as the Greens and radical right in France and Italy have been around since the 1980s. So their greater support has evolved rather than sprung quickly into being. That said, the preponderance of these groups is spreading to new countries, articulating ideas that have been around for decades. For example, the UK’s Conservative Party traditionally managed to keep most right radicals within its coalition, but Brexit has changed this dynamic. Evolution, not revolution

Yet the move to anti-system parties has been moderate over the last five years. In our analysis, we grouped together parties which take the broad populist stance of blaming

corrupt “elites” for problems experienced by “the real people”. Since 1945, this perspective has tended to be articulated by the far left in Europe, with, for example, the Communist Party being strong in France and Italy (and also Luxembourg to a smaller extent). The 1990s saw the rise of right populists who blame metropolitan elites for encouraging the emergence of multicultural societies. Both these messages have received a boost in Europe, particularly since the global financial crash and the 2015 migration crisis, and these voices now win about a fifth of votes across the continent. Yet for all the talk of a “populist breakthrough” in 2019, the number of populist MEPs is up by a relatively modest 3.5 percentage points on 2014. This is significant, but moderates still account for the lion’s share of support. Split populists

Moreover, there are splits amongst populists, meaning their influence will be diminished in the European Parliament. The far left and far right will tend to agree on little other than their dislike of centrism. Also, the right populists find a lot to disagree about. On the question of resettlement of migrants, countries like Poland and Hungary refuse to help Italy, which hosts large migrant camps. Marine Le Pen of France

MAIN EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT GROUPS

Representation of main political blocs

How the European Parliament’s main groups fared*

How does each bloc feel about Europe?

9.10%

25.95%

Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) Centre-left, EU-positive. Members include Luxembourg’s LSAP. 6.79% 11.55% 7.07%

2014

Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Liberal, EU-positive. This is “liberal” in the European sense of the world. Includes Luxembourg’s DP and is allied to Emmanuel Macron’s LREM and others. European Alliance of Peoples and Nations (EAPN) Right populist, EU-sceptic. A new group featuring the likes of Matteo Salvini’s Lega and the Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National (National Rally).

15.50% 32.75%

19.68%

European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Centre-right, EU-sceptic. Features Britain’s Conservative Party and the ruling Polish PiS. 9.84%

Source → Europeelects.eu, Delano calculations

16.44%

5.80%

2019

Greens-European Free Alliance (Greens-EFA) EU-positive. Moderate ecology parties and others such as the Pirates. European United Left–Nordic Green Left (GUE-NGL) Left populist, EU-sceptic. Political family of Luxembourg’s Déi Lénk (The Left) and the Communist Party.

Left (GUE-NGL)

Liberal (ALDE)

Greens (Greens-EFA)

Centre-right (EPP & ECR)

Centre-left (S&D)

Right (EFDD & ENF & EAPN)

*Non-inscribed and unaffiliated groups excluded from calculations. 2019 estimate as of press time.

CSV hammered

In the competition for the six Luxembourg EP seats, a major blow was inflicted on the main national opposition party, the right-of-centre CSV. Once the hegemonic party of government, almost never out of power, it has recorded its lowest vote in any election since 1945. Notwithstanding the general drop in support for centre-right parties across Europe (and particularly in Germany), the decline from 37.7% in 2014 to 21.1% was stunning.

It was an even worse percentage point decline than that suffered by the crisisridden UK Conservative Party. As well, the party didn’t help itself by selecting relatively unknown candidates. In an electoral system that favours high-profile personalities, choosing a list of relatively young, inexperienced people contributed substantially to their dropin support. After their 28.9% score at the 2018 general election failed to secure them a position in government, the party decided it needed to give itself a fresh image. A nice idea, but the effect has been to damage the party’s aura as the main party to beat. DP and Greens ride the wave

The liberal DP made no such mistake. Their list was headed by the venerable

ex-minister Charles Goerens and onetime child TV-star Monica Semedo. This and the pro-liberal wave across Europe helped the party gain about four percentage points on its 2018 general election result. That said, the party’s 21.4% vote at this EP election was only just higher than its scores in 1999 and 2009. The Greens picked a relatively unknown slate of candidates, and hence received proportionately fewer votes for these individuals. But nevertheless, the party was able to surf the EU-wide Green wave. Their 18.9% total was their highest ever score: nearly four points more than the 2014 figure and up two and a half points on 2018. The LSAP is still hanging on. Given the context of falling support for the centre-left in Europe, its 12.2% was an →

European politics

European People’s Party (EPP) Centre-right, EU-positive. Members include Luxembourg’s CSV and Angela Merkel’s CDU.

39.54%

and Matteo Salvini of Italy have expressed their support for the current Russian regime, but this stance horrifies many of their would-be allies in countries from the ex-Soviet empire. Moreover, few right populists now advocate leaving the eurozone or the EU (see Brexit box).

OK performance: a touch down on 2018 and slightly up on 2014. Yet these figures are about half what the party was receiving two decades ago. Up and down for populists and others

JUNE/JULY 2019

The mildly nationalistic ADR are now within touching distance of an EP seat, at just about two percentage points behind the Socialists. Their 10% score was their highest ever in any election, and represented a half-point increase on their 2018 effort. This was in line with the slight EUwide drift of support to similar EU-sceptical parties. The Pirate Party backed up its success in the general election with a creditable 7.7%, meaning it too could make a push for a seat in the future. Combined support for The Left and the Communist Party was just over 6%, about a percentage point down on 2014. Again, this was an echo of wider EU trends of left-populists slipping backwards. Volt’s 2.1% was a decent score for a new party, and like the Pirate Party, it benefited from their sister party being active in Germany. What does it all mean?

So what do these results mean in practical terms in Brussels and Strasbourg? Short term, the parties are now pushing to have their people chosen for top European

jobs. From the presidents of the European Commission and the European Council, to the head of the European Central Bank, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, president of the parliament, the more important European commissioner posts and more; there are many posts to attribute. It’s not clear how this would affect EU policy, but mostly those chosen will tend to be middle-ofthe-road technocrats which favour evidence-based policy making. Some EU enthusiasts see signs of the emergence of genuine pan-European politics akin to national politics. Indeed, turnout was up by five percentage points this time, suggesting increase enthusiasm, but it remains to be seen if this is a step towards political integration. What is not in doubt is that Europe faces growing challenges. Climate change, cross-Mediterranean immigration, Eurozone fiscal policy, policy towards countries to the south and east, global trade and more require a continent-wide approach. The challenge is within too, with increasingly strident populists changing centrists’ political calculations. But as one of the EU’s founding fathers Jean Monnet wrote: “Europe will be forged in crises, and will be the sum of the solutions adopted for those crises.” ×

← Philippe Poirier, assistant professor in political science at the University of Luxembourg, says voters use a different calculation when casting their EU vote

AND WHAT ABOUT BREXIT? Brexit didn’t feature in the European Parliament campaign outside the UK. Indeed, the country’s political implosion over this question appears to have boosted pan-European support for membership to record levels. In the most recent Eurobarometer poll conducted by the EU, only 14% of Europeans said they would vote for their country to leave the EU (5% in Luxembourg), while 68% said they would choose to stay (83% here), with the remaining 18% being “don’t knows”. Populist anti-EU rhetoric was a feature of the campaign, but only a highly marginal fringe of parties is now calling for their countries to leave the bloc. Often this is because even populist politicians see how the EU can address voter concerns. For example, the EU is now playing an important role coordinating policies in the Mediterranean and in Africa to choke off clandestine illegal migration networks. This work is being coordinated by the Warsaw-based EU agency Frontex, which was founded in 2005 but was substantially strengthened in 2016. This action is successful, with illegal migration across Europe’s southern sea well down on pre-migration crisis levels. So although it might be true that the UK’s Brexit Party is now the largest single party in the EP, its unwillingness to cooperate with others will mean its influence on policy will be minimal. Unlike the UK’s Liberal Democrats, who have provided a major boost to the ALDE grouping.

POPULIST PARTIES VS NON-POPULIST PARTIES, 2014-2019* Populism is defined by political scientists as the idea that society features “the pure people” and “the corrupt elite”. Populists define these groups and position themselves on the side of the “people”. Populists are on the left (“working class”/“ruling class”) and the right (“the common person”/“metropolitan liberals”). 2014 2019

82% 78%

18% 22%

Populists (ENF/EAPN, GUE/NGL) Non-populists (all others) *2019 estimates, non-inscribed and unaffiliated groups excluded from calculations

Source → Europeelects.eu, Delano calculations Photo → Maison Moderne

— According to a study by TNS Ilres Plurimedia 2019.I —

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reportage

State funeral

Farewell to a grand duke

Photo → Cour grand-ducale/Claude Piscitelli

JUNE/JULY 2019 ↑ Grand Duke Jean’s coffin lies at the altar of NotreDame cathedral during the state funeral service

words

Duncan Roberts

State funeral

Luxembourg was united in its desire to pay its final respects to Grand Duke Jean on Saturday 4 May. The father of Grand Duke Henri passed away on 23 April following a week in hospital suffering from a lung infection. Despite at times appalling weather conditions, thousands of well-wishers flocked into the city centre to witness the state funeral procession and watch a live broadcast on giant screens on the place d’Armes. Royal guests from Europe’s last remaining constitutional monarchies, heads of state and government leaders were among the invited guests who paid homage to the grand duke, who reigned as head of state from 1964 until 2000. The multilingual funeral service at the Notre-Dame cathedral was led by Archbishop Jean-Claude Hollerich and included readings by Grand Duke Jean’s grandchildren.

Photo → Cour grand-ducale/Sophie Margue

JUNE/JULY 2019 ↑ Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa at the funeral service

Photos → Anthony Dehez → Nader Ghavami

State funeral

↑ The funeral attracted press from all over the world

→ Mourners on the place d’Armes pay their respects as they watch the funeral on giant screens

JUNE/JULY 2019 ↑ Deputy prime ministers Étienne Schneider and Félix Braz led the government ranks in the funeral procession. Prime minister Xavier Bettel was in the official cortege

→ German ambassador to Luxembourg, Heinrich Kreft, makes his way to the cathedral

Photos → Anthony Dehez → Nader Ghavami

→ Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, represented the British royal household

Photo â&#x2020;&#x2019; Cour grand-ducale/Samuel Kirszenbaum

State funeral â&#x2020;&#x2018; Archduchess Marie Astrid of Austria, the eldest child of Grand Duke Jean, is seen at the reception with her husband Archduke Carl Christian of Austria

JUNE/JULY 2019

Iterating an earthquake Funds

Blockchain technology has the potential to fundamentally shift how the fund administration companies do business (and possibly put some providers out of business). Considering how big the sector is in Luxembourg, should we be worried? words

Aaron Grunwald

photo

Mike Zenari

← Laurent Collet of Deloitte

+ + +

+ +

↑

BLOCKCHAIN BENEFITS

ast year, the consultancy Deloitte published a report on the use of blockchain technology in Luxembourg’s fund administration sector. Adoption of blockchain will save fund firms time and money, but also risks cutting fund administrators (such as transfer agents, custodian banks and fund accountants) out of the equation, as well as the banks and financial advisors that today sell most investment funds to retail clients, a process which is called disintermediation. On the upside, this cuts distribution costs and will let the fund firms roll out more types of products, and faster. On the other hand, “considering that the fund sector represents more than 50% of its economy, the blockchain has the power of an earthquake” that could, Deloitte reckoned, “shake” Luxembourg’s financial sector “to the ground”. While blockchain is the technology behind cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, this issue has nothing to do with digital money. To vastly oversimplify, blockchain, or digital ledger technology, is like an Excel file where one user at a time can add data that is permanently saved. It can be seen, but not changed, by all future users. This means financial transactions can be completed more quickly and companies save money because data does not have to be manually re-entered or conflicting figures rectified by each counterparty. But those administrative tasks employ thousands in Luxembourg.

According to the Deloitte report: “Luxembourg must structure itself in order to move forward into the new paradigm. Failing to do so could mean that a lot of existing actors would be replaced by new entrants and the country would lose [its] predominant position in the global fund industry.” So, should the fund administration sector be worried? The industry is unlikely to be razed any time soon, according to the experts Delano interviewed, but change has already started to take root and the sector will probably look quite different within a decade. A year after the report came out, Laurent Collet, a Deloitte partner and co-author of the report, told Delano: “I don’t think that the custody business and depositary bank business is in danger, clearly not.” Even in the future, when financial instruments are stored “in a cloud or a distributed ledger somewhere”, a trusted party will still need to “safekeep the assets and make sure that everything is fine”. That said, “it could be a challenge” for depositary banks to “reinvent” themselves as a sort of provider of security services. Opportunity or threat?

“From my point of view, there are more opportunities than threats for fund admins,” said Olivier Portenseigne, managing director of Luxembourg-based Fundsquare, which runs a funds trading platform that is in the process of rolling out blockchain-based →

Source → Deloitte, “Impact of the blockchain on fund distribution and administration”, 2018

The use of digital ledger technology in fund administration will save firms and investors time and money, according to Deloitte. Accuracy Only the assets recorded on a blockchain can be traded, increasing the reliability of transactions. Speed Many processes can be automated and intermediary steps removed, reducing “the timeline of transaction processing”. Costs Much lower, or even zero, intermediary fees could “drastically reduce” transaction costs. Compliance Time-stamped information creates “a more secure audit trail”, helps firms enforce anti-money laundering and “know your customer” rules, and simplifies compliance processes since there is a single source of data for client transactions.

Funds

JUNE/JULY 2019

services. The use of blockchain requires a level of standardisation of how data is handled that simply does not exist in the industry today. Shifting to the technology will ring out huge efficiencies and let money managers and admin providers “focus first on what is creating value” for their clients, he argued. For example, providing market intelligence that lets asset managers create smarter products. “We don’t believe that in the next two to three years it will completely overhaul the industry, but it is a long-term trend that is starting now,” said Tom Casteleyn, global head of custody at BNY Mellon Asset Servicing, one of the largest providers of fund administration services in Luxembourg. “We want to be driving that train, not just riding it.” Firms like his want to tap into all the benefits, but given the huge amounts of money they process, “there is no radical transformation in our industry… which is probably not a bad thing.” RBC Investor & Treasury Services, a giant fund admin services provider, declined Delano’s interview request. Clearstream’s parent, Deutsche Börse, emailed a statement which listed its participation in several consortiums that are developing or have tested blockchain-based prototypes around securities lending, securities transactions and cross-border collateral transfers. Already on the market

In May, Calastone, a funds transactions network based in the UK, shifted its entire client base onto the blockchain. Its platform “sits in the middle” between customers, meaning financial outfits did not need to immediately change any of their IT systems, Henning Swabey, Calastone’s head of continental Europe, told Delano. Last year, Calastone commissioned research from the consulting firm Forrester, which forecast that the global funds industry could save £1.9bn (around €2.2bn) over six years by moving to blockchain-based infrastructure. Swabey said his firm works with several major fund industry outfits in Luxembourg, including RBC Investor & Treasury Services, Henderson, M&G and Schroders. Important for Luxembourg

“Luxembourg needs to be one of the first to adopt blockchain technology,” said Portenseigne. The French financial sector looks at blockchain as a way to regain market share that it has lost to the grand duchy. So “Luxembourg has much to lose”, he said. Blockchain adoption is “not a wish; it’s a need”.

That sentiment was echoed by Emilie Allaert, head of operations and projects at the Luxembourg House of Financial Technology, a promotion outfit: “If we want to keep and maintain our second place [among investment fund centres] in the world, we’ll have to really dedicate resources to developing these solutions, because if we don’t do it, some other countries will just jump on it.” “My personal opinion is we are doing okay in what we’re actually doing. We are not doing okay in how we make people know about it,” said Monique Bachner, a lawyer and chair of the Luxembourg Blockchain & DLT Association (which goes by LëtzBlock). For example, while Switzerland has been grabbing international blockchain headlines, “they’re not really doing anything new, but they’ve been very open about their whole process and discussing [blockchain]. We [in Luxembourg] have been holding our cards very close to our chest. And so people go, ‘oh nothing’s happening in Luxembourg’, whereas actually [Luxembourg has all] these people beavering away and people don’t know about it.”

→ Laurent Marochini of Alfi’s blockchain working group

Fund administration expenses

Annual processing cost of fund distribution for Luxembourg funds, 2014.

Orders

€450,000,000

Skills shift

The shift to blockchain will require a different set of skills. For example, moving from “inputting transactions” to “providing data analytics”, Portenseigne noted. Casteleyn said “the next 18 months is really about talent”. They need people who understand both the business and the technology “to make this connection, to work on proof of concepts, to work with clients to define what these solutions could look like… but in the end, this is just a technology. Clients need to be serviced, operations need to be managed.” In other words, the industry will need to carry on, even as it integrates new technologies, as it has successfully done in the past. Bachner stated: “Whether it’s blockchain [or artificial intelligence] or any of the new technologies, you also need the talent across the entire ecosystem.” That includes everyone from board directors down. “Every single person actually needs to keep developing new skill sets. So it’s not only about coding, because it’s the whole ecosystem.” Allaert added: “It’s also understanding the possibilities. Just grasping what the technology can bring. That’s the minimum actually.” The need for standardisation will also require more cooperation across the sector. “With blockchain, it makes no sense to go alone,” said Laurent Marochini, co-chair of the blockchain and cryptocurrencies working group at the Association of →

Transfers, corporate actions, dividends

€120,000,000

Cash processing

€170,000,000

KYC & due diligence

€180,000,000

Data & documents dissemination

€15,000,000

Errors & reconciliations

€355,000,000

Total: €1,290,000,000

Source → Deloitte & Fundsquare, “Europe’s funds expenses at a crossroads”

BLOCKCHAIN CHALLENGES

Acceptance Moving to the blockchain is a big shift for investment fund firms and service providers; the technology needs to gain trust and “cultural acceptance”. Implementation Blockchain software is complex, requiring “a very deep understanding” of how it works. Data privacy By default, the entire record is readable by all participants; special effort has to be made to mask sensitive personal details from parties who do not require access to private information. Not standardised Government regulators and industry groups have not yet settled on benchmark technologies nor processes. Photo → Nader Ghavami

Scalability The ability of computing systems to handle a huge volume of transactions remains unproven. Legacy systems It is highly unlikely that firms will make a “big bang” switch to blockchain-based applications, which means new and old systems will need to “coexist during [a] transitional phase”.

the Luxembourg Fund Industry. “So we need to have a consortium of players, not a consortium of several hundred players but a consortium of ten players, just to have the critical mass and also to fine tune... we need to work well together.” Big bang or slow transition?

When will this all happen? “A lot of people think that you’ve got to go from current state of affairs to this utopia in one leap,” said Bachner. However, “the way that innovation works usually is you launch with your minimum viable product and you iterate and you iterate and you iterate, and I think it’s no different” with blockchain solutions. Portenseigne reckoned fund management companies (but not necessarily fund admins) will start using blockchain technologies

“ before the end of the year” with “massive adoption after three to four years of this type of infrastructure running”. Casteleyn predicted there would not be a “big bang” transition either. He said it would take “12 to 24 months before you see real momentum in adoption of these solutions”. Marochini estimated 50% of transactions could be on blockchain in “maybe five years. If you say three years, 30%, I don’t know.” Collet agreed that it will take at least five years to reach widescale adoption, but even hedged this statement. “I have no crystal ball. I mean, you don’t know, but it’s important to have a vision. It’s important to anticipate, because the leader of tomorrow will be the one who basically anticipated the train.” ×

Funds

Fund firms wanting to move to token-based technologies need to overcome several (surmountable) hurdles, according to Deloitte.

get the picture

Environment

Plastic lag

Plastic is killing marine life and poses a threat to human health through its presence in our waters, studies show. Recycling is just one part of the solution. words

photo

Jess Bauldry Jan Hanrion/Maison Moderne

JUNE/JULY 2019

Recycle rate Across the EU, 42% of all plastic packaging waste was recycled in 2016, compared to 33% in Luxembourg.1

Bottle target In March 2019, the European Parliament approved a new law setting a 90% collection target for plastic bottles by 2029.5

Energy recovery Of the 13,196 tonnes collected, just 42.5% was recycled. The remainder was incinerated for energy recovery.3 Goal Luxembourg’s goal is to recycle 50% of all plastic packaging waste by 2025.2

Plastic waste In 2017, Valorlux, which is responsible for collecting recyclable waste, collected 13,196 tonnes of plastic waste, the equivalent weight of 8,368 SUVs.3

Where we are In 2017, Luxembourg recycled 69.8% of all the plastic bottles sold in the country.3 Bags Since 1 January 2019, people in Luxembourg have to pay €0.05 for a single-use plastic bag.4

Re-Box In 2017, Valorlux collected 1.4 tonnes of pots and pudding cups, 27.2 tonnes of punnets and 27 tonnes of plastic films through its Re-box containers.3

Sources → 1. Eurostat → 2. Sustainable Development Ministry national waste plan → 3. Valorlux → 4. Delano reporting → 5. European Parliament

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special report

Real estate & workspace

JUNE/JULY 2019

Finding the right spot Many people spend a third of their lives at work, and facility managers are trying to make the workplace more liveable. However, newcomers to Luxembourg still need a place to call home (that they can afford). But we start with a check on the office space market.

Take-up in office space increased by 16% last year. Nearly a quarter of a million square metres was newly rented, the second highest amount on record. Vacancy rates (the percentage of empty rental property) have fallen substantially over the last couple of years, and are approaching record, pre-crisis levels. This is because national employment has been increasing by 3.3% per year on average over the last five years, being closer to 4% recently. Demand up, rents up

Much of recent growth in Luxembourg has been driven by the need to boost →

Big transactions tighten market

Brexit plays a relatively small part of increased demand. Industry promotion agency Luxembourg for Finance recently predicted that uncertainties of the UK’s relationship with the EU are likely to create 3,000 new jobs over the 2016-2019 period in Luxembourg. This is a significant number, but only accounts for about 6% of the new jobs which will be created over this period.

The biggest transactions last year, says Inowai, a property firm, were Deloitte’s 31,000m2 and Alter Domus’ 10,600m2 in the Cloche d’Or, followed by 10,073m2 for Amazon on the Kirchberg, 9,000m2 for Telindus in the Bourmicht estate (Bertrange), and 7,898m2 for Foyer in Leudelange. Business services accounted for a third of take-up, followed by banking and finance with a quarter, as well as public sector and ICT each with 14%.

Record rents are the result. The Central Business District has the highest prime rental valuations, reaching as much as €50 per square metre per month. This is around one third higher than the next most desired locations in the capital. CBD rent is up by quarter over the ten years to 2018, says the property firm JLL, and this compares to around 7% on the Kirchberg, 10% by the railway station, with rents broadly stable over this period in the Cloche d’Or.

Vacancy rates were at a post-crisis low of 3.6% last year, down from around 5% in 2016, according to Inowai. This national figure went from 2% in 2008 to 8.6% in 2009, after which it fell steadily to around 6% in 2016. It then dropped considerably. This masks considerable variations, with JLL saying vacancy rates in the fourth quarters 2016 and 2018 fell in the more established areas: from 5% to 1.75% in the CBD, on the Kirchberg from 3% → to 1%, and in the station end of town

Cloche d’Or: not yet

While planners see the Cloche d’Or as a new Kirchberg, Lotfi Behlouli, the director of JLL Luxembourg, said that interest in the district was relatively tepid at the moment, although he sees momentum building. “It is important to offer a good environment to employees, and make it easy for them to commute,” he said. However at the moment the area is something of a hard sell as it is largely a building site, with facilities and transport links lacking. “Often it is difficult to imagine how the Cloche d’Or will look, but the opening of the shopping mall [in May of] this year should start to change perceptions,” he added. This new retail centre is set to be substantially bigger than the Kirchberg version. The tram to the station is scheduled to be connected by the end of 2022. So while the Cloche d’Or is an attractive option for large players which can be somewhat self contained, it is less appealing for smaller firms. PwC has been there since 2014, and Deloitte and Alter Domus had their official openings earlier this year. Yet so far smaller operations have played safe, keeping themselves closer to the town centre, the Kirchberg or the station end of town. Alternatively there is an attraction for places slightly out of town

Lotfi Behlouli Director JLL Luxembourg

↓

“ It is important to offer a good environment to employees."

Real estate & workspace

Demand for office space is booming, with Luxembourg’s economy being driven forward largely by international companies’ need to hire staff. Rents are at record levels as demand outstrips supply. However the delivery of space at the Cloche d’Or is keeping the market in check.

with a better supply of parking spots, such as Strassen, Capellen and Leudelange. The latter has become a focus for the insurance industry, for example.

Photo → JLL Luxembourg

1. Managing the property boom

the value added by international head offices based here. This has led firms of all sizes to hire, and these people need somewhere to work. Moreover, in the battle to attract and retain this talented staff firms like to offer plush, well located offices.

from 4.5% to 2.5%. However, in the main emerging districts the rates increased from 7% to 8% in the Cloche d’Or and from 4% to 9% in Esch-Belval. In the pipeline

JUNE/JULY 2019

Some major projects are set to come on stream this year. Royal-Hamilius will bring 10,000m2 of offices (all space has been rented), 12,000m2 of retail (16 shops plus restaurants), and 7,500m2 (73 appartments) of residential space to the centre of the capital. Meanwhile Infinity, opposite the Philharmonie on the Kirchberg, will have 6,800m2 of offices, 6,500m2 for retail, and 16,000m2 residential space. To this we can add Casa Ferrero with 29,000m2 and 17,338m2 for Naos. In 2020, the biggest project will be the European Court of Justice on the Kirchberg (39,750m2), which in 2021-22 will be topped by ArcelorMittal’s plan for 55,000m2 in the same district. Post has plans for 27,700m2 around the central train station early next decade. Belval will see the Icône building (18,000m2) come on stream around this time too, designed by Foster +P artners.

than the average, so for them these costs are well within bounds. City more expensive

Of course things get trickier in the city. For a place in the most desirable neighbourhoods the average for a threebedroom flat goes from €3,059 per month in Limpertsberg and €2,683 in Belair on the upper end, to €2,367 on the Kirchberg and €2,400 in Weimershof in the mid-range, to €1,800 in the Grund and Eich at the lower end. If you’ve ever wondered why cross-border workers spend hours a week travelling to work here, it’s because the same sized homes in Thionville, Metz and Trier cost less than one-third of the Luxembourg → average. All figures are from AtHome.

Industry experts foresee continued growth in 2019, resulting in the sixth year in succession where take-up exceeds 200,000m2. Rents should stay broadly stable, although there could be some upward pressure in the centre and the Cloche d’Or. × words

Photo → Maison Moderne (archives)

Stephen Evans

2. Housing cost squeeze Attracting staff from abroad to fill the local skills gap is made harder by Luxembourg’s ever-tightening housing market. However is it really a major problem, and is this the biggest impediment to encouraging people to move here? No question housing is expensive in Luxembourg, but it is not markedly different from other high-growth business centres. The average rent for a three-bedroomed apartment is €2,171 in Luxembourg, according to online estate agent AtHome, while the median household disposable income was around €5,000 per month in 2017, say Statec. The rule of thumb is that housing costs should equate to about a third of disposable income. The ratio of these averages is 43%: a high figure but not outrageous by international standards. Moreover, skilled, experienced professionals earn substantially more

Stéphane Compain CEO LuxRelo

↓

“ New arrivals are shocked that they will have to pay the equivalent of five months.”

GROWTH AREAS The total office stock in and around the capital now totals over 4 million square metres. According to the property firm Inowai, over a quarter of this is on the Kirchberg, a fifth in the central business district, a tenth each in the Gare district and Cloche d’Or, with Belval and the airport district contributing around 5%. Other business zones account for 1% or 2% to the total each. However last year, the Cloche d’Or was where much of the action was, with JLL saying it hosted 27% of the transactional volume in 2018, almost tripling the 2017 number. In the pipeline, JLL sees 300,000m2 on the Kirchberg, with a further 45,000m2 in each of the CBD, the Gare district and Leudelange. Inowai predicts Cloche d’Or will have 490,000m2 of office space, 80,000m2 of retail and 120,000m2 of residential by 2030. By then, Belval should have 300,000m2 of offices, 100,000m2 of new shops, and 350,000m2 of housing.

A REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER REACHING YOUR EXPECTATIONS

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Nasty surprises

Yet even if people consider the price, there can be some other nasty surprises. “Very often new arrivals are shocked that they will have to pay the equivalent of five months’ rent straight away: the first month’s rent, the agency fee, then the bank guarantee worth two or three months,” Compain added. Yet he finds that it is not housing costs that can be the deal-breaker, but the lack of schooling options. He points to the main English language schools in the city being particularly difficult to access, and that even the English-language schools in the Luxembourg state system require kids to be at least bilingual. “That’s a real stress for families and it can result in people deciding not to come,” he said.

founder of The Office Coworking says. “But this can also be transferred to traditional office spaces.”

MILD 2019 START FOR OFFICE MARKET

Space design

This is how The Office “Charlotte” coworking space was launched. The space spans 250m2 of open space in a former garage along the boulevard GrandeDuchesse Charlotte and was the first of the two sites The Office now runs. It offers private offices and meeting rooms, plus a green chill out area and café. Their second location, The Office “City”, opened its doors at the end of last year in a space whose main entrance faces Monterey Park. Much larger, with 1,400m2 of working space, The Office “City” shares the boho vibe of the first space, adding a touch of industrial-chic. Vertical gardens made of moss adorn the entranceway, bringing bright green into the interiors. A café was also underway when Delano visited the site this spring. In addition →

“We are all taken by pictures from Amazon, Facebook or Google offices that are like masterpieces, but, of course, those are the companies where innovation is their religion, basically,” the CEO and co-

43%

↑ demand from the banking, finance & insurance sectors

214,000 ↑ m2 of new development

Stephen Evans

Before starting her coworking spaces, Gosia Kramer worked in a corporate environment where she says two elements in particular were missing: kindness and collaboration. It was a trigger for her to do something different.

↑ m2 in take-up

↑ m2 of vacant space

However the bigger concern might be attracting and retaining people who earn lower incomes. A minimum monthly wage of €2,071 gross might look attractive, but less so after tax, social security and €700 rent for a room in the city are subtracted. Population growth continues to outstrip supply and it has to be a concern that the resultant rising housing prices could harm the country’s growth potential. ×

3. Workspace of the future

18,000

156,000

Worse for low earners

words

Real estate brokerage CBRE Luxembourg, in its “Luxembourg Office Marketview Q1 2019” report, noted a slight cooldown in the office market in the grand duchy for the first quarter of the year, following what it called a “record fourth quarter and year of more than 250,000m2 of activity”. Supplies remain tight, but the market is expected to fare better in the months ahead.

Gosia Kramer CEO & co-founder The Office Coworking

↓

“ Workplaces will have to adapt to people.”

€273m ↑ invested

Source → “Luxembourg Office Marketview Q1 2019”, CBRE Luxembourg

JUNE/JULY 2019

Expectation management is important. “People can assume Luxembourg’s prices will be lower than in major capitals, but if new hires are informed early enough, then they have time to explore cheaper options,” said Stéphane Compain, CEO of the relocation firm LuxRelo. He noted that the south of the country is growing in attractiveness. This is related to firms opening offices there, as well as the advent of new English language schooling in the area.

Photo → Jan Hanrion (Maison Moderne)

Apartment

2 bedrooms

Office vacancy rate, 2010-Q1 2019 An estimated 156,000m2 of office space was vacant at the end of Q1 2019, and the 3.7% vacancy rate was driven in part by limited take-up and no new completions. Source → “Luxembourg Offices Marketview Q1 2019”, CBRE Luxembourg

JUNE/JULY 2019

0% 2010

to hosting private offices for startups, the two spaces also host a variety of £events and workshops. Kramer says when she started, she was researching several aspects concerning workspace design, but the culture is something she continues to build. Visitors may first notice the bold colours incorporated in the space, for example. “Furniture colours are very important. I choose colours that interact with the creative part of your brain…You don’t feel it, but your brain feels it immediately, so you work better.” Many of the furnishings in The Office “City” are upcycled, and the conference room maintains the original door (and lettering) of the office that was there before it. Efforts were made at the outset to obtain elements of offices that had been recently renovated in Luxembourg so that items which may have otherwise been merely discarded were rescued. Adapting to people

The circular economy principle behind The Office design tends to attract others who also care about those aspects. But the concept goes well beyond just environmental considerations--people are also attracted to the philosophy behind the space, which aims to place people at the centre.

2011

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In Kramer’s experience, millennials particularly prefer remote work, even working with a variety of companies for multiple sources of income, and they don’t want standard employment as generations before. And the future of the workplace will have to keep this in mind.

spaces are “very suited for people who want to develop something”. Space also impacts how happy individuals can feel. As Kramer says, “You have a good mood when you come here, and I think the good mood and positivity spread.”

In an increasingly digital world, Kramer says, what can be lacking is the human connection, but this should be the first and foremost concern of any new business entering the market. “What is very much needed is protection of our humanity, direct contact with other people, safe places where you can build friendly relationships and have supportive communities… Workplaces will have to adapt to people, but not in an artificial way.”

So, what does it take for an alreadyestablished company to help foster such a collaborative, positive environment? It may come as no surprise that Kramer advises keeping people at the heart of the discussion. “It’s very important to get employees involved and encourage them to come up with the ideas.”

For example, it goes well beyond setting up a beach corner, or putting a sofa in a corridor, says Kramer. The philosophy should run deeper. “It’s important to create the heart of the place. At home you have the kitchen or living room which is where everyone is gathering, and the same must be created in companies to give people the feeling that they are safe there.” Kramer says she regularly sees individuals interacting in The Office “City” over coffee, to share constructive feedback, or simply to get verification of their ideas--The Office

Creativity over investment

However, she adds that it doesn’t have to require a massive investment. Much can be done with items already existing in the workplace--cupboards, tables, and so on--even with a simple paint job. However, she adds, “It’s more about creativity than investment. Corporates think budget-wise, cost-cutting, but they don’t realise they can so easily push efficiency by making people happy and willing to work.” × words

Natalie A. Gerhardstein

goes Residential !

26 26 12 12 www.cbre.lu

JUNE/JULY 2019

perspectives

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70 Jose Belo, Yoann Le Bihan and Filip Stoitsev ↘

JUNE/JULY 2019 interview

Technology

A new chapter in privacy Three privacy professionals based in the grand duchy have established a Luxembourg chapter of IAPP. words

hen Jose Belo arrived to work in Luxembourg less than a year ago, one of the first things he did was to look up the local chapter of the International Association of Privacy Professionals. To his surprise, he found that no chapter existed. There were IAPP members out there, but no official local body to represent them. So Belo, who is a data protection and privacy senior consultant at Exigo Luxembourg and had been cochair of the IAPP Lisboa KnowledgeNet, got in touch with two contacts in the privacy field--Filip Stoitsev, Europe privacy manager at Hiscox Insurance, and Yoann Le Bihan, compliance and data protection at Luxair. They are now the three co-chairs of IAPP Luxembourg, a chapter that they say they want to keep to a reasonable scale while

Duncan Roberts

photo

Matic Zorman

organising quality events that will interest fellow privacy professionals in the grand duchy and the Greater Region. Coming from different backgrounds, the three founders say they complement each other. Being of different nationalities--Belo is Portuguese, Stoitsev hails from Bulgaria and Le Bihan is French--they also have chosen English as the working language of the local chapter. They will serve a standard two-year mandate under IAPP rules. “The aim of the Luxembourg chapter is not only to connect the local IAPP member network,” says Belo. Indeed, Le Bihan says that some privacy professionals in what is a relatively new métier and who are often their company’s sole employee in the field might feel isolated. “The Luxembourg chapter is also to be a place for debate about the challenges

privacy and data protection have in this post-GDPR world.” There are, says Stoitsev, plenty of aspects of GDPR and its application that require clarification for some members. The IAPP chapter can also provide a platform to discuss the roles and requirements of data protection officers. Founded in 2000 in the United States, IAPP provides a forum for privacy professionals to share best practices, track trends and advance privacy management issues. It is also responsible for developing and launching the only globally recognised credentialing programmes in information privacy. Thousands of professionals in data protection, information auditing, information security, legal compliance and even risk management now have IAPP approved certification. × ↳ www.iapp.org

REAL ESTATE

An answer for every real estate questions Are you facing challenges in the real estate industry? If you are looking for tax, legal and regulatory advice for real estate transactions, our firm responds to your needs. Our team brings together legal and tax experts to offer you top quality integrated and business-oriented services. > loyensloeff.lu

Agenda

JUNE/JULY 2019

Chambers of commerce

A selection of upcoming business, information and networking events for Luxembourg’s international community.

PWC

American business Conflicts The Luxembourg Chamber of interest of Commerce, Luxembourg American Chamber of Commerce in New York and Amcham hold a seminar on how to “Expand your business into the US”. Wed 19 June, 08:30-12:00 Chamber of Commerce, Kirchberg ↳ www.cc.lu

Jean-Philippe Smeets of PwC Legal outlines recent changes to Luxembourg’s commercial code on conflicts of interest, exceptions, procedures and possible sanctions. Tue 25 June, 08:00 PwC, Cloche d’Or

British Chamber of Commerce

↳ www.pwclegal.lu

Insurance forum

Luxinnovation

Meet & greet The economic promotion agency’s Materials & Manufacturing and Ecoinnovation clusters hold a “Present Yourself” networking session for new and existing members. Tue 2 July, 15:45-18:30 To be announced

Panel talk on “Luxembourg as a hub for cross-border insurance distribution pre- and post-Brexit”.

Luxinnovation GIE

Level2 Hackerspace

Open Tuesday

Wed 19 June, 18:00 To be announced ↳ www.bcc.lu Luxembourg for Finance

Sustainable Finance Forum

Delano & Paperjam Club

Orientation session As part of Delano’s “Welcome to Luxembourg” series, newly arrived expats are briefed on work permits, housing, schooling and settling-in. Thu 20 June, 09:30 Alvisse Parc Hotel ↳ club.paperjam.lu

Luxembourg’s finance minister, Pierre Gramegna, speaks at this conference focused on environmental, ethical and responsible investing. Wed 26 June, 08:30-17:00 Philharmonie ↳ www.luxembourgforfinance.com

The Network

Summer cocktail The women’s professional networking group holds its annual summer drinks event; a good time to make new contacts.

“This is a place where people interested in computers, science and technologies can hang out together, tinker with technology, hack on projects, socialize and collaborate.” Tue 16 July, 20:00 Syn2cat, Bonnevoie Syn2cat asbl

Wed 10 July, 19:00 To be announced The Network - Luxembourg

Luxembourg-Poland Chamber of Commerce

Monthly meetup Network with members of the LPCC, who are active in a number of sectors, including finance and logistics. The chamber’s official language is English. Thu 27 June, 18:30 To be announced Luxembourg-Poland Chamber of Commerce

Toastmasters

Public speaking Green Heart Club is one of five open Toastmasters speaking groups in Luxembourg that generally meet two evenings a month. No need to be a native English speaker. Mon 5 Aug, 19:15 Chamber of Commerce, Kirchberg

Find more events Check Delano’s digital agenda for the latest happenings: ↳ www.delano.lu/agenda

↳ www.toastmasters.org

Photos → Emiliano Bar on Unsplash → Maison Moderne → Matic Zorman → Lala La Photo → Ines Álvarez Fdez on Unsplash → Steve Eastwood

Your home is not just a property. Find its value online! www.nexvia.lu/valuation

JUNE/JULY 2019

in focus

Football

Sing when you’re winning This fan of F91 Dudelange was in good voice for the last match of the season on 19 May. His team had already sealed the BGL Ligue title and faced RM Hamm Benfica, who had to win to have any chance of avoiding relegation to the Ehrenpromotion. Hamm gave it their best shot and even went in at the break 3-2 up against the champions after scoring twice in the final minutes of the first half. But F91 scored three times in the second half to crown their league season with a 5-3 victory and sent Hamm down. The team from Dudelange then went on to complete the double by winning the Coupe de Luxembourg against Etzella Ettelbrück a week later.

words

photos

Duncan Roberts Mike Zenari

Football

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The Source A guide to culture and lifestyle

78 Interview

Budding thespians

Special feature

An increasing number of secondary school graduates are pursuing studies and careers in the performing arts.

Tips for easy gardening and our favourite lawn games.

94 Kids page

Get your Summer hands dirty in the city Eliminate boredom during the school holidays.

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Theatre

JUNE/JULY 2019

Budding thespians

An increasing number of Luxembourg secondary school graduates are pursuing studies and careers in the performing arts. Delano talks with four acting hopefuls.

“D

on’t put your daughter on the stage / The profession is overcrowded / And the struggle’s pretty tough / And admitting the fact / She’s burning to act / That isn’t quite enough” The opening lyrics to Noël Coward’s “Mrs Worthington” are fraught with sensible warning. But if everyone took heed, the world’s stages would be very empty indeed. Luckily for an increasing number of budding young thespians in Luxembourg, the adults who have any influence on their education and career development are much more encouraging. One mentor who has been laudable in his work with young actors is Tony Kingston, drama teacher and director of the BGT English theatre company, (pictured on left in the photo on page 77) which this September is producing a play-“Wolves Are Coming For You”--that specifically showcases the talents of student actors. Among the three actresses who will be on stage is European School graduate Hayley Dawson, who is completing her first year in politics and sociology at University College Dublin. She has come a long way since appearing as the Wicked Witch of the West in “The Wizard of Oz”. “I realised I really enjoyed putting myself out there on stage. It was the first role that made me realise theatre was something I felt comfortable doing.” In 2014, after she starred as the young Jo in BGT’s production of “Little Women”--the first time she has played in front of a paying audience--Hayley says her mother (OPL violinist Rhonda Wilkinson) encouraged her to take courses outside of Luxembourg’s tight-knit theatre scene. Summer schools at Mountview and Rada in London allowed Hayley “to get experience and compare myself to other aspiring actors my age and see what the standard is. I thought it would either intimidate me and I wouldn’t want to pursue acting, or it would make me want to do it more.” Clearly it was the latter as Hayley went on to appear in more productions in Luxembourg and has also performed in three shows in the short time she has been in Dublin. She even received best newcomer and best supporting actress nominations at the ISDA Festival for student drama in Belfast in April this year for her performance in “Radiant Vermin”. However, immediately going to drama school after leaving the European School was an option Hayley eschewed. “I wanted to get a little life experience beforehand. Quite a few actors didn’t just jump into drama school.” Valuable lessons

words

photos

Duncan Roberts Mike Zenari

Indeed, Kingston explains that in the UK drama schools generally prefer to take on students who are not 18 but are →

Theatre ↖ Hayley Dawson, Céline Planata and Gina Millington

← Mika Bouchet-Virette

JUNE/JULY 2019

in their early twenties. “Partly because of the maturity aspect, but also because they are very business oriented. A responsible drama school is looking for students with another degree, so they have a backup, because let’s face it, 90% of actors are unemployed most of the time. In Germany, it’s almost the reverse. If you’re 23 you’re almost too old because drama schools there like to take people young and form them.” That has not put off Mika Bouchet- Virette, freshly graduated from the International School of Luxembourg, from taking the plunge and accepting an offer to start a one-year foundation course at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts this September. He had auditioned at four reputable UK drama schools or conservatoires. “I knew it would be difficult to get in because there’s only a 2-3% acceptance rate,” says Mika. But he jumped at the chance of studying at LIPA because it’s one of the few acting schools that promote training not just actors. “I feel that it is really a place that corresponds with me, and where I could fit in and grow as a performer and a person,” he explains.

Mika says he received great support from his mother, “although she knows it’s a difficult path and that she worries about certain aspects of it,” and that his teachers at ISL “have always been positive about my choice”. After all, he says he has learned valuable lessons from acting that can be applied to life and studies. “I’ve become better at listening to both verbal and non-verbal cues and at observing people and surroundings.” His immediate ambition is to become an accomplished stage actor, capable of taking on a large scope of characters and roles in both classical and contemporary plays. But ultimately Mika would love to have his own little theatre, where he could produce, direct and act. “Being able to create my own work, while keeping things on a ‘human-scale’ and being surrounded by inspiring people.” Real potential

One of Hayley’s co-stars in “Wolves Are Coming For You”, Gina Millington (with whom she also appeared in “Little Women”) is also off to the UK this September, where she will start studying at Durham University.

After that, she wants to audition for one of the big five drama schools in London, a city with which she is familiar through workshops she has taken in musical theatre and acting technique. Since leaving school she has also studied drama at Loughborough University and gained valuable work experience at Intertrust. Her ambition is to be able to work constantly as an actress. “I’d be more than happy with that,” she says. “I don’t have any crazy salary or particular role in mind.” Gina says she is grateful to Tony for the opportunities she has received through BGT and the lessons she has learned under his tutelage. The “Wolves Are Coming For You” show is the first of what promises to be an annual showcase by BGT for actors aged between 18 and 23 who are either studying at drama school or planning to pursue a career in the performing arts. “We don’t take on students who don’t show real potential,” he explains. The third star of the show, Céline Planata, fits the bill perfectly as she has recently accepted an offer from the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in New York, where she will start in September--she chose New York over London’s East 15 Acting School and courses at Essex and Kent universities. A keen student of musical theatre, Céline has performed regularly for Pirate Productions here in Luxembourg. Tony has been impressed by Céline’s professional attitude throughout the time he has worked with her. She says her experience in the BGT production of “Picnic at Hanging Rock” not only took her out of her comfort zone, but also set her a new bar. “There was a level of professionalism that made me want to be at the top of my game all the time. The group dynamic was amazing.” ×

THE PROJECT “Wolves Are Coming For You” will give its three young stars a chance to develop their skills by tackling larger roles that would not normally be available to them. What’s more, they will be paid for their work and receive a contract as independent artists that they can use to build their CV. 5-7 September International School of Luxembourg, Merl ↳ www.bgt.lu

Let’s talk Matcha Yoghurt“ “Matcha” “Frozen the refreshing new star another for summer days way

Matcha comes from Japan and is a sophisticated

green tea which is ground into ultra-fine powder. Bright green and with its own distinctive taste, matcha has countless amazing health benefits for both body and mind, and provides a magical source of vitamins and minerals.

Discover all of our summer accessories in our

mycactus.lu

On stage

Festival season is in full swing over the summer Synth funk

Ava Luna JUNE/JULY 2019 Dance

William Forsythe The choreographer has labelled his show at the Grand Théâtre “a quiet evening of dance”. Performed by 7 of Forsythe’s most trusted collaborators, it features five works, including “Catalogue”, which Forsythe describes as an “intricate, almost baroque piece”, and “DUO2015”, in which the dancers “pull time into an intricate, naked pattern that unfolds as they tumble, shear, strike, reverse”.

New York quintet Ava Luna play genre-bending synth-funk of the sort favoured by their clear influences, Talking Heads and Stereolab. Last album, 2018’s “Moon 2” was hailed as one of the year’s most unique and captivating records and received acclaim from the likes of Pitchfork and The AV Club, which hailed it as “a collection of standout tracks”, each a “big, bold dance party” in its own right. Their live performances have been described as “magnetic and theatrical”. 25 June Rotondes, Luxembourg-Bonnevoie ↳ www.rotondes.lu

20 & 21 June Grand Théâtre, Luxembourg-Limpertsberg ↳ www.theatres.lu

Dance

Akram Khan

Rhye The music collective led by Mike Milosh make what The Guardian called a “perfectly judged sepulchral take on R&B” when reviewing 2018’s “Blood” album. The sound can be reminiscent of Cigarettes After Sex, particularly in the almost female tone of Milosh’s voice. The band has just released new album “Spirit”. 17 June Rockhal, Esch-Belval ↳ www.rockhal.lu

Theatre

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Regular visitors to Luxembourg, the TNT theatre and American Drama Group Europe present another of their outdoors shows at the Château de Bourglinster. One of Shakespeare’s most loved comedies, the play is directed by Paul Stebbings. TNT always puts on entertaining and accessible shows as it aims to produce Shakespeare as might have originally graced the Globe theatre, that is to say funny, direct, visual, musical and with a broad appeal. 24 June Château de Bourglinster ↳ www.adg-europe.com

words

Duncan Roberts

A regular visitor to the Grand Théâtre, British choreographer Akram Khan’s “Giselle” features 46 dancers and is his largest project to date. Working with the English National Ballet and the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, the production features a set by “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” designer Tim Yip. It is, in the words of Roger Foss in The Stage, “a stunning re-imagining” that is “destined to become a contemporary classic”. 27-29 June Grand Théâtre, Luxembourg-Limpertsberg ↳ www.theatres.lu

Photos → Carl Fox → Laurent Liotardo

Ambient pop

Bryn Terfel Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel is the star performer at this year’s Kinnekswiss open air concert laid on by the Philharmonie to mark the end of its regular season. Deutsche Grammaphon artist Terfel is joined by soprano Lauren Fagan and the OPL conducted by musical director Gustavo Gimeno for a programme featuring popular works by Puccini, Verdi, Dvořák, Wagner and Gershwin, among others. Entrance is free.

CHOICE A heck of a summer

Congés Annulés

6 July Kinnekswiss, City Park, Luxembourg-Limpertsberg ↳ www.philharmonie.lu Dance music

End of season party The stuff of legends, the Philharmonie’s “end of season party” in the foyer of the concert hall building has in the past attracted some of the biggest names on the DJ and electronic music circuit. This year’s line-up is all female, featuring Katy De Jesus, Sonja Moonear, Anja Schneider and Nicole Moudaber. At just €10 entrance fee for 10 hours of dance music, the party is a steal. 6 July Philharmonie, Luxembourg-Kirchberg

Photos → Mitch Jenkins / DG → Sébastien Grébille

↳ www.philharmonie.lu

Hip hop

Cypress Hill It is easy to underestimate the cultural impact that Latino rap group Cypress Hill had at the start of the 1990s. They were, for instance, the first rap group to have two albums in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 at the same time when second album “Black Sunday” joined eponymous debut album in the upper echelons of the charts. The former featured the quartet’s most famous song, ‘Insane In The Brain’, which alongside other tracks like ‘Hits from the Bong’ and ‘I Ain’t Goin’ Out Like That’ showcased their cartoon approach to violence and stoner aesthetic. 9 July Rockhal, Esch-Belval ↳ www.rockhal.lu

The Rotondes is the place to be in August when the old railway sheds host a month-long feast of music, screenings and DJ nights. Highlights include the return of American experimental trio Son Lux on 15 August, New York post-punk band Bodega on 19 August and Australian indiefolk singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin (photo) on 20 August. Japanese kraut rock power outfit Bo Ningen, US noise rockers Daughters, UK indie band Drahla, Kiwi rockers The Beths and the self-explanatory Psychedelic Porn Crumpets from Australia are also worth checking out. The atmosphere on the terrace of the Rotondes during the four-week festival is always buzzing with anticipation as music lovers get to discover new bands or see artists they have explored and come to love but never seen live in Luxembourg. 26 July to 23 August Rotondes, Luxembourg-Bonnevoie ↳ www.rotondes.lu

On stage

Classical

Music festival

Siren’s Call JUNE/JULY 2019 Punk

METZ Any band that chooses to be produced by the great Steve Albini, once of the parish of Big Black, is worthy of attention. As The Guardian puts it, Canadian punk trio METZ capitalises its name to telegraph that they are LOUD. Drowned in Sound says that latest album “Strange Peace” bears the band’s hallmark “fast-moving, shape-shifting, ear-splitting ragers”, but Pitchfork likes the fact that the band has incorporated harmony and added colour to their “eruptions”.

British indie-electro quartet Metronomy (photo) headlines the 2019 festival, with Cat Power, Band of Horses and Idles among the other notable acts on the bill. Siren’s Call features art and dance, a design exhibition, a market and workshops, and special events for kids--parents are encouraged to bring their offspring down to the Grund to enjoy the festival atmosphere. The music line-up also includes French electro pop artist Flavien Berger, Düsseldorf-based duo Grandbrothers, Belgian model, artist and singer Claire Laffut and Helsinki-based band The Holy as well as Luxembourg musicians Raftside and C’est Karma. 29 June Neimënster, Luxembourg-Grund ↳ www.sirenscall.lu

10 July Rotondes, Luxembourg-Bonnevoie

Rock’n’roll saviours

Fat White Family Labelled one of the UK’s best live bands, Fat White Family have a loyal cult following since breaking into the London scene in 2013. The band’s second album, “Songs For Our Mothers”, proved that they were “the most important rock and roll band of their generation”, according to Drowned In Sound. Latest record, “Serfs Up” includes what Record Collector calls “effortless glam-pop” in the shape of single ‘Tastes Good With The Money’ and an ability to “radiate a staggering amount of beauty”, according to Clash Music. 13 July

↳ www.rotondes.lu

Kulturfabrik, Esch-Alzette ↳ www.kulturfabrik.lu

Eclectic fest

Bock up

Performance

Festival de Wiltz Held in the splendid setting of the castle grounds, the annual festival features an eclectic programme of music, theatre and dance and a great little food village. Highlights this year include jazz legend Dee Dee Bridgewater (a favourite at the festival), trip-hop outfit Morcheeba, Sicilian singer Etta Scollo and the new circus troupe Losers Cirque Company from Prague.

Neimënster’s annual festival is now spread over two months and includes concerts by the likes of Neneh Cherry (photo), The Luxembourg Wind Orchestra, Anna Calvi and Alpha Blondy as well as showcasing artist in residence, jazz singer Claire Parsons. It ends with the hugely popular Blues’n Jazz Rallye. All in a stunning setting beneath the Bock cliffs. 9 June to 27 July Neimënster, Luxembourg-Grund ↳ www.neimenster.lu

6-25 July Castle grounds, Wiltz ↳ www.festivalwiltz.lu Find more events Check Delano’s digital agenda for the latest happenings: ↳ www.delano.lu/agenda

ARE YOU KEEN ON MEETING PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES ?

LET THEM DISCOVER YOUR LUXEMBOURG IN A DIFFERENT WAY !

29/06 15/09/2019

Register until June 16th and become a ‘Guide for one day’ #GuideForOneDay encourages people to share their favourite and sometimes secret places in Luxembourg with others. It is a great way to discover new aspects about the country and experience Luxembourg in a different way.

Following the success of the last two editions, a third edition will take place this summer, from June 29th to September 15th.

An initiative of the General Directorate for Tourism of the Ministry of Economy

www.guideforoneday.lu

The best way to find top English-speaking candidates?

L 180 mm x H 116 mm Be where they are. Luxembourg jobs in English

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09/04/2018 15:42

special feature

Gardens

Get your hands dirty!

words

JUNE/JULY 2019

Not everyone is born with a green thumb, but that shouldn’t stop you from getting your hands dirty. Here are a few stress-free tips for the gardener who is just starting off or is simply too busy to deal with the upkeep gardening can require.

Natalie A. Gerhardstein

GROW EASY VEG

Some vegetables can be a nuisance to deal with in terms of pests and general upkeep. Among those easiest to grow include radishes, which can be sown directly in the soil or, even easier, in pots. Ready to harvest in about a month from planting, radishes can grow in shade and even handle frost. They make good low-calorie snacks, rich in potassium, calcium, vitamin C, even magnesium. Leafy greens also tend to be low maintenance.

Photo → Shutterstock

NOT JUST FOR HIPPIES

Photos → Shutterstock → Lala La Photo

JOIN A COMMUNITY

Share the love (or pain?) of gardening while getting to know your neighbours. From Bonnevoie to Belval, there are number of community gardens in Luxembourg City and beyond, where a plot is tended by a group who share the work, but also the produce! Added bonus: you get light exercise and soak up some vitamin D. Great for families, as well. ↳ www.vdl.lu ↳ www.eisegaart.cell.lu

Gardens

Sprouts are a great superfood, adding texture to salads, soups, stir fries, stews. They can even be grown in a mason jar: place 2tbsp of seeds (chia, broccoli and alfalfa work well), add 1c warm water, and cover with a sprout lid (a cheesecloth and rubber band also work). Soak for 12 hours (overnight, for example), strain water in the morning, rinse and drain, and repeat twice a day for 3-7 days. It’s best to store sprouts with a towel to absorb extra moisture once they’re grown. Use within a week.

IT’S ABOUT “THYME”

JUNE/JULY 2019

Some of the simplest herbs to grow indoors are thyme, rosemary, chives, parsley and mint. You can really get creative: try sage with your morning porridge, mint with your water, bake rosemary shortbread. Fresh herbs tend to last longer than store-bought ones, with some of the aforementioned herbs sturdy enough to survive even in winter.

BRING THE OUTDOORS INDOORS

If you speak with florists at local markets, they’ll share some of their tips for how to care for flowers. For example, tulips in a vase last longer if you keep them in shallow water. Eucalyptus, which likes humidity, is also attractive when dried; it also has been hailed for sucking toxins out of the air.

When starting off, it can help to keep a simple notebook which can include anything from a quick sketch, to frequency of watering, notes about the weather, and so on. It helps personalise the experience, but the notes may help you determine what works, what doesn’t, especially for making future decisions about what to grow.

Photos → Shutterstock

KEEP A GARDEN JOURNAL

BRAND VOICE

nova naturstroum and nova naturgas offers, we make green electricity and energy available to everyone.

Photo → Jan Hanrion (Maison Moderne)

← Claude Simon, Head of Sales at Enovos

In parallel with this desire to support the energy transition, Enovos always has the desire to better serve its customers. What measures have been put in place in this regard for expatriates in Luxembourg?

Renewable Energy

Investing in the energy of tomorrow Enovos, the country’s main energy supplier, celebrates its 10th anniversary. Throughout this decade, the company has invested in renewable energy production, but also sought to better understand the expectations of its customers. Claude Simon, Head of Sales Luxembourg, explains. sponsored content by

Enovos

The legislative framework is leading energy suppliers to improve their service offerings to encourage everyone to consume more efficiently. Enovos has created a subsidy program for energy renovation and optimization. Consumers undertaking work in order to make their homes more energy efficient can benefit from enoprimes. We work hand in hand with local actors, such as the “Fédération des artisans”, which brings together all the entrepreneurs capable of carrying out this work. Our energy experts work in true partnership with our professional customers to improve their energy efficiency, whether for their manufacturing processes, operations or individual projects. We also have partnerships aimed at innovation, notably with the LIST within the framework of the Enovos Foundation. That way, we do our utmost to respond together to the challenges of the future.

Enovos has as its leitmotif “Energy for today. Caring for tomorrow.” How does this ambition translate into your daily activities?

claude simon Enovos is a young and dynamic company with a rich heritage and experience as a leading player and energy supplier in the country. As a catalyst for energy transition, we play a crucial role in the deployment of renewable energy, energy efficiency and environmental protection. Renewable energy is a fundamental pillar of our business. We invest continuously and, as a priority, in wind power and photovoltaics. The Enovos Foundation is a sign of our commitment to act responsibly towards future generations. The Foundation also includes the nova naturstroum fund, through which eco-responsible projects carried out on Luxembourg territory are supported. Through our naturstroum,

We make it a point of honour to serve all our customers well. One example is our reception centre: the employees who work there speak several languages and can thus help and inform all the communities living in the country. We have also created several enoshops to be as close as possible to our customers and offer them a direct and personal contact for all their questions. We are also easily accessible via the new communication tools, through our website, where we make sure to simplify and streamline all the procedures, as well as on social networks. Identifying and understanding our customers’ expectations requires studying and listening to their needs or taking their feedback into account through workshops and satisfaction surveys, for example. This is essential if we want to be in a process of continu× ous improvement.

For more information, visit our website: www.enovos.lu

Renewable Energy

How does Enovos include Luxembourg stakeholders in the creation of a more sustainable future?

RECYCLE JARS AND TINS

JUNE/JULY 2019

Jam jars and food tins can be reused as plant holders. Be careful to sand down any sharp edges and remember to place a layer of stones at the base of the jars, and pop holes in the bottom of tins for drainage before placing soil and the plants of your choice.

Entertaining guests at a BBQ or picnic can be tricky. But these garden games will break the ice and leave them with great memories.

Beer pong

Ultimate frisbee

For a slightly older crowd--though kids under 16 can play with soft drinks--beer pong has become something of a hit among the 16-20 age group in the grand duchy.

Definitely one for the sportier guests, a pick-up game of ultimate frisbee combines skill, speed and agility. Ostensibly a non-contact sport, its attraction is that it can be played by mixed teams.

Viking chess

Giant Jenga

Crossboccia

Popular among German hipsters, but don’t let that put you off, Viking Chess, or Kubb in Swedish, blends the skills or skittles with the tactics of chess and can be played on different surfaces by individuals or teams.

More fun involving wooden sticks, this giant version hits all the marks for fun, strategy, and replay-ability, according to one online review. Standing at 4 feet (1.2m), however, it’s best to make sure toddlers are well out of the way when the tower tumbles.

A variation on pétanque using balls made of fabric and filled with plastic beans so that it can be played anywhere. The principle is the same as boules, but Crossboccia can involve all manner of obstacles and can be played with two to six players.

Photo → Shutterstock

GARDEN GAMES

BRAND VOICE ← Ingrid Bettendorf, Director of Firstfloor

Interior Design

Photo → Firstfloor

How does Firstfloor inspire its customers?

Interior Design

Inspiring ideas for timeless and functional layouts Bringing together a team of design lovers, Firstfloor has reorganized its showrooms to present original and diversified approaches in the field of interior design. The team reveals how to implement original spaces while celebrating the work of creators. Ingrid Bettendorf, Director of Firstfloor, talks to us about her intentions. sponsored content by

Firstfloor

In terms of space layout, how are the expectations of consumers changing?

ingrid bettendorf Nowadays, the possibilities for creating friendly and functional spaces are endless. As enthusiasts of design and aesthetics, we seek to propose unique concepts that take into account the expectations and needs of clients as well as their constraints. Our primary goal is to inspire them, to allow them to go beyond preconceived ideas. Our exhibition spaces, following the original “Less is More” and “More is Less” approach, have been designed with this in mind. We can show them how the same space can integrate a lot of diversity and make various references coexist harmoniously. Then, we are there to support them at all stages of their project, demonstrating great flexibility, from conception to implementation.

By promoting “interior architecture” in all its forms. We offer each client a creative experience by immersing them in the heart of two unique and complementary exhibition environments. Through “Firstfloor is LESS”, the aim is to present a specific approach to design, with trendy, offbeat, colourful, chic or retro collections. Designed in the “loft” spirit, the place integrates various interior spaces such as a living room or a bedroom... On the other hand, “Firstfloor is MORE” puts the emphasis on high-end, unique or even futuristic pieces. By visiting these two areas, visitors can better appreciate the wide range of possibilities available to them. What do you focus on, beyond aesthetics and harmony, when you propose a layout?

For each space created, designed and implemented, the idea is to offer a unique and personalized solution. But, more than anything else, the aim is to imagine functional, lively and animated spaces where everyone feels comfortable. With this in mind, “Firstfloor is MORE” presents itself as an open space around a Vipp kitchen, in which it will be possible to organize private events. These spaces reflect our vision and approach in the field of interior and exterior design. The constant aim is to combine aesthetic and functional dimensions in the heart of × places where people enjoy living.

Our new showroom will open at the beginning of July

Restaurant review

DINING WITH KIDS JUNE/JULY 2019

Brasserie Op Der Gare Kënzeg Set in Clemency’s former train station and overlooking a children’s playground, this place is a real hit for adults and kids alike. The cuisine is typical brasserie fare with ample portions. ↳ www.brasserieopdergare.lu

Ecluse Hôtel Restaurant If you’re by the Moselle and can’t face the Remich crowds, this hotel’s restaurant in Stadtbredimus offers highquality dining on a sunny terrace overlooking vines, and a mini putting green which can be used by restaurant customers. Kids must be monitored by an adult. ↳ www.hotel-ecluse.lu

Outdoor oasis words

Jess Bauldry

on a sunny afternoon abound in Luxembourg, but few cater for kids quite like Chalet am Brill. One of the three restaurants at the Mondorf Domaine Thermal, it has a terrace that looks directly onto a vast new children’s playground. As well as being the perfect place to allow youngsters to let off steam, sun loungers placed on the open green spaces Terraces for dining

close to a water feature promise a zen escape from the bustle of a busy day. The restaurant is also a big hit for conscientious foodies, focusing on seasonal dishes always with a vegetarian, meat and fish option. Daily specials are priced under €20, there is a seasonal menu and a barbecue option where you grill the food yourself on the table (advance booking only or at special events). Don’t be put off by the French feel of Mondorf, the menus here are translated into English and German and staff speak fluent English. I sampled the menu du jour starter, crispy fried red mullet fillets on an olive

tapenade-laden flatbread with pesto. A substantial portion for a starter--those with birdlike appetites be warned! This was followed by the Beluga lentil risotto, a light, creamy dish of fleshy black lentils topped with an array of colourful grilled and steamed vegetables, from the spring seasonal menu (a new summer menu is expected to be introduced in June). Prices range from €16.50 for the vegetarian dish, to €32 for the pan-fried beef fillet. If you’ve space, there’s a selection of classic French desserts or cheese platters. The pistachio crème brûlée with its contrasting textures of crunchy and smooth and rich flavours is well worth a try. There is also a two-course children’s menu for €13. Wine fans won’t be disappointed--you’ll find over a dozen Luxembourg wines on the menu and some organic wines. And naturally,

for those sunny terrace days, there is rosé. What I particularly enjoyed about this restaurant is that while manager Jennifer and her team offer an exceptional presentation and service, there’s an informality that helps you relax. And relaxing is, after all, what attracts most people to Mondorf in the first place. ×

Delano gives it:

Avenue Marie-Adélaïde, L-5635 Mondorf-les-Bains ↳ www.mondorf.lu ↳ 23 66 65 45

Photos → Mondorf Domaine Thermal

Chalet am Brill

www.niessen.lu

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traditionally processed by the butcher and matured on the carcass Troisvierges +352 99 81 03

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Kids page

Packed summer in the city

Most parents know that keeping

There is no excuse for children to be bored over the school holidays.

the kids entertained for the entirety of the summer holidays of them--is nigh on impossible.

words

But the annual Summer In The City programme can be a great help in getting children out of the house and enjoying the sunshine. From mid-June to mid-September the city and the LCTO tourist office put on a programme of events that will appeal to kids of all ages. For instance, the opening weekend includes the Fête de la Musique celebration of local and international artists on 14 June and the Intra Urban Youth Dance Festival, with displays of hip-hop and breakdance on 15 June.

Duncan Roberts

Games, clowns and a funfair

ACROSS THE BORDERS

Wild animals and rides

Colourful adventure

Go underground

Just a one-hour drive from Luxembourg, Eifelpark is a great place to take younger kids. It features numerous rides including a new log-flume and a great summer toboggan run as well as slides and entertainment shows. The park also has a petting zoo, a bear canyon and is home to other wild animals including lynx and wolves.

The Pompidou Centre in Metz is hosting an exhibition titled “The Adventure of Colour”, which tells the story of colour in modern and contemporary art through a selection of flagship works from the Centre Pompidou’s collection, including François Morellet’s blue-tinted neons and the pure pigments of Yves Klein.

Described as one of the most beautiful caves in Europe, the Cave of Han gets three stars in the Michelin Green Guide. Visitors take a century-old tram to the cave entrance and then get to explore the subterranean network, created by the river Lesse over 500,000 years ago, with a guide. The site also has a wildlife park and treehouse accommodation.

Gondorf, Germany ↳ www.eifelpark.com/en

Until 22 July Centre Pompidou-Metz, Metz, France

Han-sur-Lesse, Belgium

↳ www.centrepompidou-metz.fr/en

↳ www.grotte-de-han.be/en

Then there is the My Urban Piano programme that encourages passers-by to sit down and tinkle the ivories at brightly decorated pianos dotted around the capital. Kids will also enjoy a ride in the City Skyliner viewing platform at the Gëlle Fra, can spend hours jumping around on a trampoline in Merl park or grab some of the free to hire sports equipment at Kinnekswiss. More organised fun takes place over the last weekend of July when the Kanner in the City play area take over the place Guillaume II, and over the first weekend of August the Streeta(rt)nimation festival is a chance to enjoy performances for free by clowns, jugglers, acrobats, stilt walkers and more in the capital’s streets. Then, of course, the summer closes with probably the highlight of the year for many kids, the traditional Schueberfouer funfair on the Glacis, which this year runs from 23 August to 11 September. Full programme ↳ www.summerinthecity.lu

Photo → Martine Huberty

JUNE/JULY 2019

in Luxembourg--all 8 or 9 weeks

plan k

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OPENING OF OUR NEW ERNSTER SPACE AT LA CLOCHE D'OR Also visit our webshop: ernster.com Client service: +352 22 50 77 333 / info@ernster.com

Index

A Kyle Acierno

E 28

European Alliance of Peoples

JLL Luxembourg

JUNE/JULY 2019

ADR 44

and Nations

Rami Alattar

European Central Bank

Emilie Allaert

European Commission

Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe

European Conservatives 3, 44

Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry

40, 54

B Monique Bachner Michel Barnier

54 3

Lotfi Behlouli

Jose Belo

Jeff Bezos

and Reformists

European Geosciences Union

European Parliament

European People’s Party

European Space Agency

European United Left-Nordic Green Left

Fonds Kirchberg

Fundsquare

BNY Mellon

Mika Bouchet-Virette

Bryce Space and Technology

Niels Buus

12, 98 54

Tony Kingston

Matteo Salvini

Manfred Kirschke

Monica Semedo

Kleos

Marc Serres

Gosia Kramer

SES

L Yoann Le Bihan

Marine Le Pen

44 3 44

Association (LëtzBlock)

Luxembourg House of Financial 10, 54

Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology

Rajendra Gauchan

Luxembourg Space Agency

German Aerospace Center (DLR)

Luxembourg Space Cafe

Robert Goebbels

Charles Goerens

Bogdan Gogulan

Tom Casteleyn

Gomspace

Laurent Collet

Greens-European Free Alliance

Stéphane Compain

Clearstream

Cloudeo

Colorado School of Mines

Communist Party

ConsenSys

Conservative Party

Cryptology Asset Group

CSV

H Hydrosat

44 44, 98

Sharqi

Spaceresources.lu

Space Ventures Investors

Spire Global

Filip Stoitsev

Karsten Stragies

Henning Swabey

Luxembourg Blockchain & DLT

Technology

RBC Investor & Treasury Services 54

LSAP

Calastone

Jo Leinen

Blue Origin

European Council

BGT

Luxembourg Space Tech Angels

LuxRelo

The Office

Frans Timmermans

Tohoku University

U University of Luxembourg

28, 44

Made in Space

Manang Mustang

Laurent Marochini

Gina Millington

Jean Monnet

Multi-Learn Institute

IAPP Luxembourg

Inowai

International Space University

Saleem Najjar

Ispace Europe

NewSpace Capital

Tonie van Dam

Inge van Doorn

Jasmina van Doorn

Margrethe Vestager

Joram Voelklein

Denise Voss

Hayley Dawson

Déi Gréng

Déi Lénk

Deloitte

Pirate Party

Deutsche Börse

Céline Planata

Planetary Resources

Simon Drake

Philippe Poirier

Olivier Portenseigne

Manfred Weber

P 44

Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D)

Yapip

THURSDAY 11 JULY 2019

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Auntie Eleanor Telegenic politicians

JUNE/JULY 2019

This month, Delano’s advice columnist answers reader questions on street art, water supplies and sheep breeds.

Dear Auntie Eleanor, while on my weekly Saturday shopping-lunch date with my girlfriends, I noticed some electrical enclosures decorated along the Grand-Rue. I almost stumbled over one, in fact! Have I missed the memo? Betsy in Belair

Gentle reader, I do hope your stumble wasn’t due to the crémant you were sipping during said lunch? Not that I could blame you… Moselle crémant producers won 21 gold and 6 silver medals this May at the National Crémant Competition of France and Luxembourg. (And you wouldn’t have missed that memo, if you read your twice-daily Delano newsletter!) Banter aside, the enclosures of which you speak are part of “Camouflage”, an artistic project realised by the artist Spike. Those 50 or so boxes along the Grand-Rue do, indeed, blend in quite well with their surroundings. I most certainly hope that you and others respect these works of art for what they are--not plastering over them, as was the case recently when someone posted ADR party European election posters right over Sumo’s mural on the rue du Curé. (Yes, I am wagging a finger as I pen this response.) Dear Auntie Eleanor, I voted for Monica Semedo in the European Parliament elections

because I am a supporter of the DP. But I was later told she used to be a TV star here in Luxembourg. Is that true? Bob in Berdorf

Gentle reader, Monica was indeed a pop singer as a child (she was “discovered” in a talent contest at the age of three) and went on to be a TV presenter and reporter for RTL television. Her fame, and the fact that she is rather gorgeous, undoubtedly helped win some votes, but Monica does in fact hold a master’s in political science. And she is not alone in making the transition from RTL to politics. The general secretary of the CSV, Félix Eischen, was a journalist and talk show host for the Luxembourg channel. CSV MP and former cabinet minister Françoise Hetto-Gaasch was a radio presenter, and the current DP minister for the civil service, Marc Hansen, also spent a good 14 years with the broadcaster. The DP family minister Corinne Cahen was a RTL radio reporter. RTL really does seem to be a springboard for political ambition. Dear Auntie Eleanor, are the sheep that graze in Kirchberg twice a year the same animals that participate in the famous parade that opens the Schueberfouer funfair each summer? Billy in Bettembourg

Gentle reader, what a beastly question. Obviously not. My

friend at Fonds Kirchberg points out that the sheep which do lawnwork on the plateau are part of a professional shepherd’s flock. The ruminants that accompany the marching band during the Hämmelsmarsch “are of a different breed” and are corralled by friends of the fair. I’d love to chew the cud a bit more about this with you, but I suppose that I’ll get to the next question. Dear Auntie Eleanor, I read on delano.lu that groundwater levels are seriously low in Luxembourg. Will we run out of water or beer first? Belinda in Bech

sending water dowsers to the moon. That’s right, all that talk about space resources and mining asteroids is so you can enjoy a nice hot bath with space water! In the worst-case scenario, even if droughts do force Luxembourg residents to reduce their water consumption, you can rest assured, beer won’t have to be rationed. I have it on good authority that a certain beer brand found in Diekirch has its own private spring. And did you know that bathing in beer can have beneficial effects for hair and skin? ×

Gentle reader, you can breathe a sigh of relief--Luxembourg has its priorities in order, by which I mean it shouldn’t run out of either water or beer. Word has it that those in charge of environmental matters are looking for alternative sources-→

SEND IN YOUR QUESTION Want to know something about Luxembourg? Contact Auntie Eleanor via AuntieEleanor@delano.lu. Please indicate if Delano can publish your name or if you wish to remain anonymous.

Illustration → Jan Hanrion/Maison Moderne

LE CHARME À L’ÉTAT BRUT