TEST TEST TEST TEST
FOR MULTILINGUAL NEWS BULLETINS CLICK HERE
TUESDAY 12 JULY
Hello world!
MONDAY 11 JULY
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum
FRIDAY 8 JULY
New coronavirus infections have risen by nearly a third since last week according to the latest data. Over the last week, the number of people who tested positive for Covid-19 increased to 5,741 and two people died according to the health ministry. Nearly a quarter of new cases were caught from other family members while journeys abroad and pursuing a hobby represented the second and third most common reasons.
MPs debated raising the minimum wage this week to bring Luxembourg in line with a draft EU directive which states a minimum wage is fair if it represents 50% of the average income and 60% of the median income. The Left Party said the minimum wage will need to be raised by 150% to conform to the directive. MPs from the CSV and Pirate Party advised that Luxembourg had become less attractive to workers since Germany raised its minimum wage. Minister of Labour and Employment Georges Engel admitted there is room for improvement in Luxembourg but was reluctant to reply to the idea of raising the minimum wage.
The Court of Appeal yesterday confirmed Luxembourg lawyer André Lutgen’s conviction for contempt of court but reduced his fine to €1,000. At the end of 2021, Lutgen was cleared of the charge of intimidation but was found guilty of contempt of court and sentenced to a fine of €2,000. The Court of Appeal has now fined him €1,000 for contempt of court but Lutgen’s lawyer has declared that they will appeal to the Supreme Court and might, if necessary, go to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
The chamber of trade this week announced it is concerned that small and medium businesses might suffer from a new sports leave bill. The draft bill would give employees who are elite athletes and have an Olympic or Paralympic contract the right to take a maximum of 90 days of sports leave. Other athletes without a contract can take up to 30 days maximum and judges or referees receive 25 days. The chamber called the bill excessively generous and feared it would strongly disrupt small and medium-sized enterprises due to prolonged and multiple absences.
THURSDAY 7 JULY
The European Parliament voted yesterday to include nuclear and natural gas energy sources in the EU green taxonomy as sustainable energy sources. Luxembourg and Austria had previously stated they would consider a joint legal challenge if the proposal was accepted and yesterday Luxembourg’s energy minister Claude Turmes confirmed that the two countries would press charges against the European Parliament. Although the EU green taxonomy does not force member states to change their energy mix, those who voted against nuclear and natural gas energy sources worry that investments towards greener alternatives may now be denied.
The debate by Luxembourg lawmakers on whether to make coronavirus vaccinations mandatory for people aged 50 and over has been postponed until next Thursday. The debate has been delayed because all parties said they needed more time to examine the recommendations given this week by a panel of experts, comprising leading virologists and epidemiologists. The panel were in favour of mandatory jabs for people aged 50 and over, but abandoned a proposal to also require healthcare workers to get the vaccination.
Foreign affairs minister Jean Asselborn and delegates of 50 locally implemented companies yesterday signed a national agreement on businesses and human rights. The accord is a voluntary measure in which businesses consent to implement certain procedures promoting due diligence such as raising awareness on the respect of human rights among staff. Businesses will have to provide training and deliver tools to identify infringements and put procedures in place to address violations. Signatories will receive training support from the ministry, as well as an expert review of their annual reports.
The latest figures from STATEC show that in June the national consumer price index increased by 0.8% and that annual inflation rate rose to 7.4%. The significant price increase in diesel and petrol products and heating oil is one of the main reasons for this development. The continuing increase in food prices has also impacted the national consumer price index with bread and cereals, meat, fish and non-alcoholic beverages most affected.
WEDNESDAY 6 JULY
Disruptions to rail traffic on the Nancy-Metz-Luxembourg City line will continue until Thursday morning owing to a national strike of employees of the French National Railway Company. Train traffic will be reduced throughout the strike but today trains will be restricted to the morning and evening rush hours while the TER line – between Metz-Thionville-Luxembourg City – will not run at all between 8.30am and 4pm.
Medical experts yesterday recommended that people aged 50 and over must get vaccinated against covid. If the government decides to adopt mandatory vaccination, it will impact 30,000, or 13.5%, of people aged 50 and older who have not yet been vaccinated. Prime Minister Xavier Bettel will inform the Chamber of Deputies of the government’s decision on Friday. The experts also announced they had abandoned a proposal to make care home and hospital staff get vaccinated. They now recommend healthcare workers be forced to reveal their vaccination status so that appropriate public health measures can be put in place.
Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, this week visited Norway to meet with his counterpart, Anniken Huitfeldt. The ministers discussed Luxembourg and Norway’s bilateral relations and explored ways to further strengthen them, especially with regards to renewable energy. Further talks concerned current European and international issues, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its effects on Europe. Minister Asselborn paid tribute to the victims of the 2011 terrorist attacks that struck Oslo and Utoya, and also those from last week’s attack on a LGBTIQ bar in the Norwegian capital.
Responding to parliamentary questions from the Christian Social People’s Party, Minister of Social Security Claude Haagen revealed this week that patients can now use digital prescriptions to obtain medication from pharmacies. Minister Haagen said pharmacies scan the QR codes on paper and digital prescriptions but stressed the success of the digital service depended on its regular use. Reimbursement of bills should be completed within a week if they are electronically transmitted to the CNS – a process that usually takes up to six weeks. Minister Haagen noted that just 0.1% of all CNS customers had used the digital service so far.