Transparency for all: MPs want to tighten control over mayors

The issue of conflict of interest and transparency in the public service has once again been in the spotlight in Luxembourg. André Bauler expressed puzzlement that municipal elected officials are subject to less stringent transparency requirements than members of parliament or members of government.

In response to his parliamentary enquiry, Interior Minister Léon Gloden replied that amendments to the 2022 bill are already being prepared and "will be submitted before the end of the year". According to the minister, the new rules will be based on those already in place for MPs and ministers and will be discussed with the Syndicat des Municipalities et Communes du Luxembourg (Syvicol).

"It cannot be that some elected officials are subject to stricter standards than others," Bauler said. In his view, at least burgomasters and eschefs (deputy mayors) should be held to the same standards as national politicians. He raises the issue of potential conflicts of interest, especially in a small country where the intersection of personal and professional ties is often unavoidable.

One proposal is to create a register of meetings with stakeholders and declarations of financial interests. At the same time, Bauler warns against overreaching, otherwise no one will want to get involved in local politics. Regulations that are too strict or bureaucratic may discourage active citizens.

The problem raised by Bauler raises the important question of whether Luxembourg is ready to build a unified culture of political accountability in which the same rules apply to all levels of government. Today, mechanisms are already in place at the state level to track contacts, declarations of interest and assets, but the municipal level remains a grey area.

The initiative to bring all levels of government to a common standard of transparency is an important step towards strengthening public trust in institutions. The only question is whether a balance will be found between control and functionality, so that the reform does not result in an outflow of personnel from local self-government.