Head to head
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The future of the monarchy Léon Gloden and Mars Di Bartolomeo weigh in on the future of the Luxembourg institution.
Mars Di Bartolomeo (LSAP) is the head of the Luxembourg parliament’s institutions committee
Is a monarchy a timely form of state? LÉON GLODEN That’s a question we’ve been asked a lot, and my answer is that, for Luxembourg, it’s a form of state that fits. In other countries, it’s maybe a different discussion, but here in Luxembourg--based on our history, our demography, our position in Europe--I think the monarchy is the right form of state. MARS DI BARTOLOMEO We’re a parliamentary democracy and we’re a constitutional monarchy. That’s very important. The monarchy must respect our constitution and our institutions. Whether or not it’s timely--it belongs to Luxembourg. If we were to redraw the map, newly inventing the country as if it didn’t exist before, then there probably wouldn’t be a monarchy. But this country has a long history, a long tradition. LG An institution--and we’re talking about the monarchy as an institution--must adapt to the times. You must accept that there’s a modernisation process. The institution opens a number of doors abroad, when we’re looking for new markets, new customers, to attract businesses. It has an aura, which is important for a small country. Another element is stability. We have a government
“ The monarchy must respect our constitu tion and our institutions”
and a head of state--the fact that one of these isn’t elected is a factor of stability. MDB It’s not like in past centuries when the grand duke was the head of state ‘by the grace of God’. But the people, and surveys show this, support it. This is also due to how successive grand dukes and grand duchesses have fulfilled this office and led the country through difficult times. The 2020 Waringo report into the monarchy criticised the functioning of the royal household, leading to a series of reforms. How satisfied are you with the follow-up to this report? MDB The reform of our constitution preceded the Waringo report. We had already discussed the administration of the royal household, the means needed for members of the royal household to represent the country. Up until now, the constitution still says that the grand duke receives gold ducats. The Waringo report was seriously done, and I’m glad about it. As befits the administration of the head of state, there is more transparency now. LG We’ve brought the institution into the 21st century. The institution is a business. It was important to respond to these points. We had some legal debates about details, and I have to say that I expected the government to inform us more regularly on the follow-up. But from what we hear, things are working. The rules are clear, and the discussions have calmed down. A lot has been done, but where would you say is room for further improvement? MDB What is remarkable about these reforms that are underway is that the constitution moves closer to reality, that the institutions as a whole are strengthened. If there were things we think could immediately be improved, we would do that.
