He Liberal Xavier Bettel, 45, was sworn in on Wednesday as Prime Minister of Luxembourg. It is the second term for Bettel and his coalition of Liberals, Social Democrats and Greens, which came to power in 2013 for the first time.
The new government has agreed on points in its coalition agreement on Monday that locals and commuters are likely to enjoy: more money and holidays, free local transport and the legalization of cannabis. „If the country is doing well, people should feel better,“ said Bettel.
Thus, from 2019, the statutory minimum wage will rise by 100 euros net. „It is important to us that there is an increase where it is least earning,“ said Social Democrat Etienne Schneider.
Gasoline prices in Luxembourg are comparatively low, but public transport should soon be free. When exactly is unclear. The Grand Duchy is 2586 square kilometers three times the size of Berlin, but has „only“ 600,000 inhabitants. For comparison: Berlin has over 3.6 million. In Luxembourg, however, 200,000 commuters are added, which is why there is always congestion.
And cannabis is also legalized
A study published by the US company Inrix has revealed that motorists in the city of Luxembourg had an average of 33 hours in a traffic jam in 2016. The free public transport should also protect the environment.
The coalition agreement also states that cannabis should be legalized . So far, private use is legalized only in the Netherlands. Bettel emphasized, however, that there should be different conditions for „buying and consuming“ „with regard to place of residence, age and prevention“. Again, there is still a precise schedule.
