By Maurice Bauer and Laurent Mosar*
Hardly any issue currently concerns the residents of the capital more than security. Especially in the station district, many people complain of a declining sense of safety. Business owners, residents and commuters experience the consequences of drug dealing, harassment, vandalism and neglect every day. These concerns are justified and must be taken seriously.
However, it would be wrong to claim that politicians and authorities have stood by idly. The government and the City of Luxembourg have taken numerous measures in recent years to strengthen safety in public spaces.
More police officers
Interior Minister Léon Gloden has increased police staffing levels, expanded their presence and, with the introduction of local policing, created a tool that is closer to citizens and can respond more quickly to local problems. Added to this are the expansion of video surveillance, the introduction of body cameras, closer cooperation between security authorities and, in future, the “reinforced exclusion order”.
The City of Luxembourg has also made considerable efforts, particularly in the station district. Social services have been expanded and strengthened, public spaces upgraded, lighting improved and additional security services deployed. This has increased the district’s attractiveness and reclaimed public space.
These measures deserve recognition. They show that action is being taken. At the same time, however, it is also true: we have not yet reached our goal.
Despite all the progress, many people’s sense of security remains impaired. The open drug scene in particular concerns numerous residents. Addiction is primarily a health and social issue. Nevertheless, the consequences—open drug use, drug dealing, littering, aggressive behaviour and insecurity in public spaces—must not be ignored.
Anyone who lives, works or runs a business in the station district is entitled to a safe public space. There must be no impression that certain neighbourhoods are being abandoned. That is why, alongside social support services, there also needs to be consistent enforcement of public order.
For a cross-border solution
It is also necessary to talk about the pull effect of Luxembourg’s social benefits system. Luxembourg has a dense network of social support services that is increasingly also used by people in need from the Greater Region. These facilities fulfil an important humanitarian role. At the same time, the question arises as to whether Luxembourg can permanently shoulder the social problems of the entire Greater Region.
Reports repeatedly state that people come to Luxembourg specifically to claim social benefits here, even though their centre of life is outside the country. Part of the problem in the station district has a cross-border dimension. This reality must not be ignored.
This is not about denying help to people in need. Rather, the existing structures must be focused on those for whom they were created. This requires closer cooperation with neighbouring countries as well as a clear national and European strategy.
New judges and a reform of the sentencing framework
An effective justice system is just as urgent. The police and security forces do outstanding work every day. It is all the more frustrating when offenders are quickly back at large or proceedings drag on for months and years. Overburdened courts mean that minor offences in particular are often not pursued consistently.
Yet crime rarely begins with serious offences. It often develops out of many small rule violations that remain without tangible consequences. While the broken-windows theory does not explain all social problems, it makes one thing clear: where rules are no longer enforced consistently, the threshold for further offences drops. This shapes the public’s sense of security.
Effective instruments for a consistent approach are already available today. Justice Minister Elisabeth Margue has strengthened the judiciary in terms of staffing; between 2024 and 2026, more than 60 new judgeships were created. In addition, criminal law has been reformed: in future, the rule will be imprisonment for serious offences, with suspended sentences being the exception that requires justification.
Before the summer recess, the Minister will also present a bill for expedited court proceedings for certain offences. This is intended to ensure that repeat offenders in particular are convicted more quickly and that the deterrent effect of criminal law is strengthened without impairing fundamental rights. Stricter penalties for sexual offences against children are also being discussed, as well as the introduction of statutory minimum sentences for certain offences.
Luxembourg remains one of the safest countries in Europe. We can be proud of that. But safety does not happen by itself. It must be ensured anew every day. Those who bear responsibility must neither dramatise nor play down problems, but solve them.
Citizens do not expect ideological debates, but concrete solutions. They want to be able to feel safe by day as well as by night. Safety remains the foundation of freedom, quality of life, economic attractiveness and social cohesion.
* Maurice Bauer is a CSV MP and First Alderman of the capital; Laurent Mosar is a CSV MP and Alderman for Finance.
This opinion piece was published on 20 June 2026 in the "Luxemburger Wort".