Mariage au Luxembourg : Gillaume, le prince normal

PARIS MATCH: Le prince Guillaume du Luxembourg épousera la comtesse Stéphanie de Lannoy les 19 et 20 octobre prochain. Le Royal Blog de Paris Match vous propose de découvrir le portrait de cet homme aussi simple qu’engagé.

Le Grand-Duc héritier du Luxembourg n’a rien d’un scandaleux. Depuis toujours, il se tient éloigné du tumulte de la Jet Set et mène une vie discrète. Le prince Guillaume est en effet plutôt du genre à étudier les problèmes économiques de son État plutôt que d'aller danser toute la nuit dans les endroits prisés par la jeunesse dorée. Pendant des années, il a donc naturellement tout fait garder le secret de son idylle avec la comtesse Stéphanie de Lannoy intact. Avant l’annonce de leurs fiançailles le jeudi 26 avril dernier, le pays n’avait eu vent que d’une «chère demoiselle» qui partageait sa vie. Pourtant, les 19 et 20 octobre prochain, jours du mariage, c’est bien lui qui sera sur le devant de la scène. » | Royal Blog - Parismatch.com | mardi 09 octobre 2012

From Stable to Negative: Moody's Cuts Outlook for Germany's Top Rating
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: The debt crisis is threatening Germany's top credit rating. Moody's changed its outlook for Germany, the Netherlands and Luxembourg to negative from stable late on Monday. The German Finance Ministry said the country would remain an anchor of stability in the 17-nation euro zone.

Moody's Investors Service on Monday cut its outlook for Germany's creditworthiness to "negative" from "stable," but confirmed the country's triple-A rating.

Moody's also cut its outlook for the Netherlands and Luxembourg, which also have triple-A ratings, to negative from stable. Finland kept its stable outlook.

The ratings agency said the move was due to growing uncertainty caused by the debt crisis.

It said there was an increased chance that Greece could leave the euro zone, which "would set off a chain of financial sector shocks ... that policymakers could only contain at a very high cost."

It also warned that Germany and other countries rated AAA might have to increase support for ailing countries such as Spain and Italy. The burden of that support would fall most heavily on the euro zone's top-rated states, it said. » | cro -- with wire reports | Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Islam ist in Luxemburg eingetroffen! Aloyse, 60, bekehrt sich zum Islam

„Menschlicher Tsunami“: Heftiger Streit über Flüchtlinge aus Nordafrika
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Vor dem Treffen der EU-Innenminister in Luxemburg hat sich der Streit über den Umgang mit den Flüchtlingen aus Nordafrika innerhalb der Europäischen Union verschärft. Während Bundesinnenminister Friedrich die Flüchtlingswelle für ein italienisches Problem hält, fordert Berlusconi Solidarität.

In Deutschland wird die Kritik an der Flüchtlingspolitik Italiens lauter. Bundesinnenminister Hans-Peter Friedrich (CSU) sagte vor einem EU-Innenministertreffen in Luxemburg an diesem Montag der Zeitung „Die Welt“: „Italien muss sein Flüchtlingsproblem selbst regeln“. Bayern und Hessen wollen die Einwanderung tunesischer Flüchtlinge notfalls mit der Wiedereinführung von Kontrollen an den deutschen Grenzen verhindern.

Mindestens 22.000 Flüchtlinge sind seit Beginn der politischen Unruhen in Nordafrika im Januar allein auf der italienischen Mittelmeerinsel Lampedusa angekommen. Die meisten von ihnen stammen aus Tunesien. Die Regierung in Rom hatte angekündigt, Flüchtlingen befristete Aufenthaltsgenehmigungen zu geben, mit denen sie auch in andere EU-Staaten einreisen könnten.

Der Flüchtlingsstrom nach Italien sorgt in der Europäischen Union für Streit. Die EU-Innenminister wollen sich an diesem Montag in Luxemburg mit der Flüchtlingsfrage befassen. Nach EU-Recht ist das Land, in dem Flüchtlinge EU-Boden betreten, für die Prüfung von Asylanträgen und Aufenthaltsbegehren zuständig. Strittig ist zwischen Rom und anderen EU-Ländern vor allem, ob Italien die Flüchtlinge aus Nordafrika innerhalb der EU weiterreisen lassen darf oder nicht. » | FAZ.NET | Sonntag, 10. April 2011

Expulsions : CONTRE-ATTAQUE - Nicolas Sarkozy suggère à Viviane Reding d'accueillir des Roms au Luxembourg
Nicolas Sarkozy a affirmé devant les sénateurs UMP que la France ne faisait qu'appliquer les règlements européens en matière d'expulsions. Photo : Le Point
LE POINT: "Malveillantes". C'est ainsi que le ministre luxembourgeois des Affaires étrangères, Jean Asselborn, a qualifié les attaques de Nicolas Sarkozy, après que celui-ci a suggéré mercredi à la commissaire européenne Viviane Reding, qui a critiqué les renvois de Roms par la France, d'accueillir des Roms au Luxembourg, son pays d'origine. >>> Source AFP | Mercredi 15 Septembre 2010

THE GUARDIAN: Nicolas Sarkozy tells Luxembourg to take in Roma: French president angered by EU justice commissioner's attack as party defends expulsion policy as 'applying EU regulations' >>> Ian Traynor in Brussels | Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Retirement Age Backed by European Court
THE TELEGRAPH: European judges have backed Britain's compulsory retirement age of 65.

The verdict in Luxembourg amounts to a defeat for Age Concern's legal battle to banish enforced retirement at 65, but the final decision still rests with the UK High Court.

The European Court of Justice acknowledged that EU rules do ban employment discrimination on grounds of age but ruled the age could be enforced if it was related to employment policy or if it would help the labour market.

The High Court, which sent the case to Luxembourg for clarification of the law, will now have to make a final ruling on whether the aims of the Government's 65 retirement age are "legitimate".

The UK's Employment Equality (Age) Regulations, introduced in 2006, ban age discrimination but exclude pensioners, who can be dismissed at 65 without redundancy payments, or at the employer's mandatory retirement age if it is above 65. >>> | Thursday, March 5, 2009

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Luxembourg Monarch Muzzled over Euthanasia
Photo of the Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and his wife, the Duchess Maria-Theresa, courtesy of The Independent
THE INDEPENDENT: The people of Luxembourg stripped their beloved monarch of his political powers today after he tried to veto a bill that allows for the legalisation of euthanasia and assisted suicide.

Grand Duke Henri, ceremonial ruler of Luxembourg's 470,000 inhabitants, provoked an unprecedented crisis in the sedate territory two weeks ago when he refused to sign the law, apparently for reasons of conscience.

Henri is a devout Catholic. The hereditary monarch's powers are largely nominal but, under the Grand Duchy's constitution, no new legislation can come into force without royal assent. Until a fortnight ago, no member of the dynasty had ever challenged the parliamentary process.

A constitutional amendment approved by parliament yesterday limits the monarch to announcing decisions of parliament, in effect, muzzling the Grand Duke but the move has provoked a debate about the monarchy's future.

"It's just one article in our constitution that's changing but it represents an enormous loss of monarchical rights," Professor Paul Margue, a historian, said. "You might be right to ask what then is the point of having a Grand Duke at all?"

Henri, a handsome, affable 53-year old, has previously seen off a string of scandals, including an affair, but the constitutional crisis triggered by his attachment to traditional Catholic values may have irredeemably tarnished his image. "He's badly overstepped his mark by meddling in politics. No Grand Duke has ever dared to block a law before it's been approved by the parliament," said Lucien Montebrusco, political editor of the Luxembourg daily Tageblatt. Like many, Montebrusco believes Henri may have been egged on by the Catholic Church and by his Cuban wife, Maria-Theresa, a great-niece of the former dictator Fulgencio Batista. >>> By Vanessa Mock in Luxembourg | December 11, 2008

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Leonetti : «Il est inutile et dangereux d'introduire dans la loi l'exception d'euthanasie»
LE FIGARO: Jean Leonetti, médecin, député maire d'Antibes, remet mardi à François Fillon le rapport parlementaire d'évaluation de la loi fin de vie de 2005, qui s'oppose une fois de plus à la légalisation de l'euthanasie. >>> | 2.12.2008

SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Grand Duke of Luxembourg Will Lose His Veto

Photo of Gand Duke Henri of Luxembourg courtesy of SpiegelOnline International
Luxembourg's parliament looks ready to strip the Grand Duke of his last lawmaking power as a controversy over euthanasia comes to a head. One of Europe's last royals with political sway may lose his formal veto by taking a stand against a law legalizing euthanasia.

The Grand Duke of Luxembourg, who has said he would interfere with a decision by parliament, will likely be stripped of his veto in a historic decision after a heated showdown over a bill to legalize euthanasia.

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg protested the bill and threatened to kill it next week by refusing to sign it into law.

Since parliament is expected to pass the bill, Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker said the Grande Duke has overstepped his role. Juncker personally opposes the euthanasia bill but says he will propose a change to the constitution to deny the Grand Duke his veto. His role by the end of 2008 could be reduced to rubber-stamping parliamentary decisions, instead of deciding whether to approve them.

"That means he will only technically enact laws," Juncker said, according to Reuters.

The euthanasia bill passed a first vote by parliament in February. It looks set to pass a second and final vote next week, but the Catholic Grand Duke announced on Tuesday -- in a closed-door meeting with leaders of Juncker's ruling Christian Socialists -- that he would refuse to enact the law.

His position tipped the tiny nation into the worst constitutional crisis in its history. The Luxembourg royal house has tried to block a decision by parliament only once before, when the Grand Duchess Marie-Adelaide refused to sign an education bill in 1912. >>> msm -- with wire reports | December 4, 2008

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