Luxembourg· Page 3 of 5

100 stories

World
Defence spending
Luxembourg sets out roadmap raising defence spending toward NATO's 5% goal by 2035
Luxembourg's Defence Minister Yuriko Backes presented a roadmap on 20 May 2026 raising military spending by 0.1 points of GNI annually to 2.3% (EUR 1,665 million) by 2029, an incremental first step toward NATO's 5%-by-2035 pledge. The national finance council puts the cumulative extra cost at EUR 13.4 billion, with annual spending set to nearly quadruple. Backes rejected an "arms race" framing.
By Julia Weber26 May 2026
Culture
Cultural policy
Esch2022 drew half a million visitors; its impact on cross-border cohesion was mixed
Esch2022, the cross-border European Capital of Culture spanning Luxembourg and France, drew 512,000 visitors to 1,351 events on a 54.8 million euro budget. Four years on, the legacy is mixed-to-positive: strong turnout and a concrete Interreg follow-on, but only a minority of Minett residents felt the French-Luxembourg link itself grew stronger.
By Léa Schmit25 May 2026
Tech & Science
Quantum communication
Luxembourg joins four-nation EU project to build quantum-secure ground stations
Luxembourg has joined TransEuroOGS, an 18 million euro EU project to build eight interoperable optical ground stations across Germany, Greece, Ireland and Luxembourg for satellite-based, quantum-secure communication. Co-funded by the Connecting Europe Facility and launched in late April 2026, the 3.5-year effort prepares the ground for quantum satellite missions including SES-led EAGLE-1 within the wider EuroQCI initiative.
By Noah Schreiber24 May 2026
Opinion
Opinion
Housing debate: the case for taxing idle land instead of subsidising demand
Luxembourg’s housing crisis will not be solved by helping buyers bid more for scarce homes. A serious policy has to mobilise land, tax non-use and make planning faster enough to matter.
By Marie-Anne Kayser23 May 2026
Politics
Consumer rights
Luxembourg moves to add a one-year warranty extension for repaired goods
Luxembourg ministers have approved a bill to transpose the EU right-to-repair directive into the Consumer Code, giving repaired goods a 12-month warranty extension and creating clearer repair duties for manufacturers.
By Anouk Origer and Tom Reuter23 May 2026
Opinion
Opinion: Cross-border workers
France and Luxembourg Fail to Lift 34-Day Cap on Cross-Border Telework
France and Luxembourg again failed to lift the 34-day cap on tax-free teleworking for French cross-border workers at December's intergovernmental commission. France wants a 40% threshold plus revenue-sharing; Luxembourg offers only 25% and refuses retrocession. With talks pushed to late 2026, more than 120,000 frontaliers stay stuck on a rule that competitors abandoned years ago.
By Pierre Hansen23 May 2026
Opinion
Opinion
Eight Months After Luxembourg Recognised Palestine, No Annexation Halted and EU Trade Pact Intact
On 22 September 2025, Luxembourg recognised the State of Palestine, joining a wave of more than 150 countries. Eight months on, the test is sober: no annexation has been halted, the EU has again refused to suspend its trade pact with Israel, and a fragile Gaza ceasefire has stalled. The gesture was right. Its limits are the real story.
By Julia Weber22 May 2026
Politics
Travel documents
Luxembourg passport in 2026: when to renew and what residents should prepare
Luxembourg residents planning travel in 2026 should check passport validity early and prepare identity documents, photos and payment before applying through their commune or the Passport Office.
By Julia Weber and Marie-Anne Kayser22 May 2026
Politics
Digital government
Digital inclusion in Luxembourg: MyGuichet access and public services
Luxembourg's digital public services create real convenience, but residents still need support when skills, equipment or language become barriers.
By Noah Schreiber and Julia Weber22 May 2026
Politics
Higher education
Luxembourg student aid: AideFi deadlines and required documents for 2026
Students linked to Luxembourg should prepare AideFi applications early, because missing a deadline can mean waiting for the next semester.
By Anouk Origer and Marie-Anne Kayser22 May 2026
Politics
Weather and health
Heat alerts in Luxembourg: MeteoLux warnings and health guidance for vulnerable people
Luxembourg residents should use MeteoLux and health guidance to prepare for heat days before vulnerable people are already at risk.
By Tom Reuter and Anouk Origer22 May 2026
Politics
Healthcare
CNS reimbursements in Luxembourg: rules, paperwork and out-of-pocket costs
Luxembourg residents should keep invoices, check reimbursement rules and use CNS guidance before assuming every health cost is automatic.
By Anouk Origer22 May 2026
Politics
Health
STI testing in Luxembourg: European trends and local prevention services
Luxembourg residents should treat European STI warnings as a reason to test earlier, use prevention services and avoid waiting for symptoms.
By Anouk Origer22 May 2026
Greater Region
Cross-Border Rail
A direct Luxembourg-Saarbrücken-Mannheim train edges from idea to study, but not before the mid-2030s
Luxembourg, the German Länder of Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate, and France's Grand Est say a joint study has confirmed a direct Luxembourg-Saarbrücken-Mannheim railway is feasible "in principle," while flagging technical, legal and financial hurdles that push a regular service to the mid-2030s at the earliest. With 276,360 cross-border workers crossing daily in 2024, the partners are weighing shorter-term fixes too.
By Tom Reuter22 May 2026
World
Cross-border nuclear
Luxembourg Demands a Seat as Cattenom Reactor Turns 40
As France opens the decennial review that could keep the first Cattenom reactor running past its 40-year design life in 2026, Luxembourg — about 10 km downstream on the Moselle — is again pressing to be consulted at every stage of a plant it wants shut. The ASNR has cleared the country's 1,300 MWe fleet to run another decade, subject to upgrades; EDF expects to spend around EUR 6 billion.
By Tom Reuter21 May 2026
Finance
Financial Regulation
CSSF Sharpens Its 2026 Watch on Luxembourg Funds: Liquidity, Valuation, Fees and Cyber
The CSSF has set a tougher 2026 supervisory agenda for Luxembourg's investment funds, signalling closer scrutiny of governance, liquidity, asset valuation, costs and fees, cyber resilience under DORA, sustainable-finance claims and anti-money-laundering controls. Published on 31 March 2026 and covered by the Luxembourg press in late May, the priorities respond to market volatility and geopolitical strain.
By Pierre Hansen21 May 2026
Finance
Satellite earnings
SES revenue rises 80% in first full quarter with Intelsat; like-for-like growth 3.1%
SES reported first-quarter 2026 revenue of 847 million euros, up 80.5% at constant currency in its first full quarter consolidating Intelsat. The headline surge is largely an accounting effect: on a like-for-like basis, revenue rose 3.1%. CEO Adel Al-Saleh pointed to early integration wins, with staff costs down 20%, as the Luxembourg group chases 370 million euros in annual synergies.
By Pierre Hansen20 May 2026
Politics
Foreign Affairs
Luxembourg and UAE Sign Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters
Luxembourg and the United Arab Emirates signed a treaty on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters during a 22 May 2026 working visit by UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Justice Minister Elisabeth Margue and UAE Minister of State Lana Zaki Nusseibeh signed the pact, which aims to speed judicial cooperation on serious crime, including financial and economic offences.
By Mathias Faber19 May 2026
Politics
Artificial intelligence
Malta's free ChatGPT Plus deal raises a question for Luxembourg
OpenAI and Malta have announced a programme giving eligible Maltese participants one year of ChatGPT Plus after completing an AI literacy course. The move matters for Luxembourg because it turns AI access into a public-policy question, alongside skills, digital inclusion and sovereignty.
By Noah Schreiber and Julia Weber18 May 2026
Politics
Crime statistics
Luxembourg crime rates: what changed between 2015 and 2025?
A decade comparison of Luxembourg police statistics shows a lower crime rate per inhabitant than in 2015, but higher numbers for violent theft, assault, threats and domestic violence.
By Sophie Lentz15 May 2026
Politics
Public safety
Luxembourg crime rates in 2025: stable overall, but violence and theft rose
Luxembourg’s latest police statistics show a mixed public-safety picture: the overall case rate stayed stable, but violent robberies, theft and domestic violence increased.
By Sophie Lentz15 May 2026
Politics
Drone law
Drone ban in Luxembourg: what the May 2026 restriction means
Luxembourg has announced a temporary drone-flight ban for a defined area on 16-17 May, with limited public-interest exceptions.
By Noah Schreiber and Sophie Lentz15 May 2026
Politics
Eurovision
Luxembourg fails to reach Eurovision 2026 final after Eva Marija’s semi-final exit
Luxembourg will not appear in the Eurovision 2026 final after Eva Marija missed qualification from the second semi-final in Vienna.
By Léa Schmit15 May 2026
Politics
Cybersecurity
Phishing emails impersonating LuxTrust and police circulating in Luxembourg
A phishing email circulating in Luxembourg claims a LuxTrust Mobile login was made from Portugal and frames the warning as a police-backed security case. Here is what makes it convincing and how to check it safely.
By Sophie Lentz and Noah Schreiber15 May 2026