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Last month you wrote about how the plans of den Atelier to move into the former slaughterhouse in Hollerich were derailed. Allow me to set the record straight.

What caused the opposition was the fact that public interest should take precedence over private business interests. But instead of going through a democratic process of consultation and debate, the mayor tried to push through a project accounting only for the interests of his business partners.
Moreover, neither we nor the local residents are against any project being realised on said site. Indeed, on several occasions, we spoke out in favour of a youth and cultural centre consisting of several rehearsal rooms, a recording studio, dance studios, a bar, etc.

Cultural policy must not only enable passive consumption but also and preferably support active creation. However, right from the start, den Atelier was opposed to this. That might be its role; but that of politicians must be to look further than the short term profit of private interests.

If populism means looking out for the public interest instead of the interests of just one private company, if it means supporting creation in arts rather than consumerism, if it means fighting for a transparent democratic process instead of shady backroom deals, then yes, we’re populists. And in that case, every politician should be.

Best regards,

Christophe Schiltz
President Luxembourg City Socialists (LSAP)

Dear Mr Roberts,

In your editorial in the April issue of Delano you told your readers that the plans of den Atelier to move into the former slaughterhouse in Hollerich was derailed by the nimby mentality of local residents and the political profiteering of opposition parties in the city. Allow me to set the record straight.

First of all, the discussion around and our opposition to the project envisaged by the mayor and his business partners did not start this year, an election year. Our position dates back to at least four years ago when we first heard about the idea. This opposition also has got nothing to do with any nimby mentality but rather with the fact that public interest should take precedence over private business interests.

Indeed, the way to proceed when planning a project on public property such as the former slaughterhouse should be to first collect ideas about what such a project should consist of, to then go through the democratic process of consultation and debate and finally vote in the city council on how and with whom to implement it. In this case however, as has regrettably happened on many other an occasion, the mayor tried to push through a project taking into account only the interests of his business partners rather than the public interest.

Second, neither we nor indeed the local residents are against any project being realised on the site of the former slaughterhouse, quite the opposite. On several occasions, we have asked for plans to be drawn up for a youth and cultural centre consisting of several rehearsal rooms for Luxembourg city – based bands ( for which there is a clear need ), a recording studio, dance studios, a bar, etc. Moreover the Traffo project, currently but only temporarily based at the Carré Rotondes, could also find its new home there.

Cultural policy must not only enable passive consumption but also and preferably support active creation. In spite of this, creative arts are dearly lacking in support in Luxembourg City. Hence our demands for such a youth and cultural centre. However, right from the start, den Atelier was opposed to this idea having only its business interests in mind. That might be its role; but the role of politicians must be to look further than the short term profit of private interests.

Third, the whole project was mismanaged from the start by the ruling coalition as well as den Atelier in terms of both communication and execution. Indeed, while the mayor pretended that there had never been any concrete plans to move, one of the people in charge of den Atelier announced in a TV-interview that everything had been settled and the ruling liberal-green coalition had given its green light; only minor technical details were left to be sorted out. This understandably left local residents with the feeling of being put before a fait accompli.

Moreover, even the people in charge of den Atelier said when cancelling their plans, which according to the mayor never existed in any concrete shape or form, that they did not necessarily need a new and bigger venue. Hence, den Atelier is not disappearing any time soon. So there really is no need to draw up a doomsday scenario of a return to pre-‘95 days.

If populism means looking out for the public interest instead of the interests of just one private company, if it means supporting creation in arts rather than consumerism, if it means fighting for a transparent democratic process instead of shady backroom deals, then yes, we’re populists. And in that case, every politician should be.

Best regards,

Christophe Schiltz
President Luxembourg City Socialists (LSAP)