Editorial – Welcome to Parc Merveilleux

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And suddenly they're all back again. Although the official start of the new parliamentary season – and with it, the political rentrée proper – traditionally doesn't take place until the second Tuesday in October, but anyone who takes even a quick look around social media might well get the impression that not only has the rentrée already kicked off, but also the election campaign is already well under way: Politicians drinking wine, walking their dogs, inspecting organic carrots… – and all sporting their best toothpaste-commercial smiles.

Government CEO Luc Frieden is, of course, playing right along. Over the weekend, he even visited the Parc Merveilleux in Bettembourg with his wife, which earned him twice as many likes on Facebook as his previous post featuring one of the Vice-Presidents of the European Commission. That's just the way it is.

Of course, a Prime Minister is also allowed a day out at the fairytale park now and then, though one might well ask whether the political class really believes, by now, that a photo amongst dwarves, princesses and fairytale houses would automatically make them seem close to the people. It doesn't! As stupid as some social media strategists would apparently like voters to be, they aren't quite that stupid. You can have your photo taken to look down-to-earth, and you can actually be down-to-earth, but the one has about as much to do with the other as an election manifesto has to do with political reality after the elections.

Although the general election isn't due for another two years, most politicians are already well and truly up to speed. Whilst the opposition parties continue to vie for attention – which is becoming increasingly difficult in these times when a new scandal breaks every hour – the two long-standing allies, the CSV and the DP, must slowly begin to distance themselves from one another.