Preferably in pinstripes

Gilles Baum is deeply relaxed. No wonder, as we meet the leader of the Liberal parliamentary group on the day when the Chamber of Deputies meets for its last public session before the summer break. It's almost like being on holiday. There is a knock during the interview. It's fellow parliamentary group member Guy Arendt. "I don't want to interrupt." "No problem, we're almost finished anyway, " so Arendt sits down next to us on the sofa and listens attentively.

Lëtzebuerger Journal: "Rise and rise again until lambs become lions." This quote is the intro on your Facebook page and, as we discovered, comes from one of the Robin Hood films. Now, you can associate a lot with the DP, but certainly not Robin Hood, who is somehow also seen as a champion of social justice – who takes from the rich and gives to the poor. So why this particular quote?

Gilles Baum: Because in life, and also in political life, there are situations in which you are knocked out, in which you hit rock bottom. But you should never give up and always get back up. As far as being a champion of social justice is concerned, I've always had a social streak due to my job as a teacher, and I still have one now, so the Robin Hood thing isn't so wrong (laughs).

Never giving up is probably a good motto for a politician, even for you, as you were not directly re-elected last October, but replaced Lex Delles, who became a minister again. You had already moved into the Chamber in 2013 after Maggy Nagel moved up into the government as a member of parliament for the East. Now you have become leader of the parliamentary group for the second time since 2020, when you took over after the death of the then group leader Eugène Berger, although you only moved up. That seems to mean that your Group colleagues are happy with you.

As I had already been leader of the parliamentary group for four years, I naturally have a certain amount of experience. We now have six new MPs, whom I have supported in the best possible way in their first steps in their new role. I believe that I am good with people, which incidentally also applies to my relationship with colleagues from other groups.