Vodka chug

By Pascal SteinwachsLex KlerenMisch Pautsch Switch to German for original article

Why high-heeled pumps are not a good idea in the snow, why you shouldn't take your mobile phone to the toilet even if you're a minister, and why Russian heads of government prefer to take their own photos. We spoke to three recent retirees from Parliament and the Ministry of State who can explain.

What do Marc Baulesch, Viviane Heinen and Joël Lucas have in common? Well, during their professional lives, all three of them have repeatedly – sometimes more, sometimes less – come into close contact with the powerful people of this world, all three of them have worked countless hours of overtime, and all three have experienced a lot and have even more to tell.

After 38 years in the Ministry of State (Joël Lucas) and 25 and 21 years in the Chamber of Deputies (Marc Baulesch and Viviane Heinen), all three have now retired. We met with the two former public servants and the long-time Chamber TV manager in the past weeks, and got to hear many unusual stories.

Like the foam to the beer

We visited Marc Baulesch in his last week of work at his workplace on the Krautmaart, two days before the representatives of the majority parties once again approved a further tightening of the Covid-19 rules on Christmas Eve. President of parliament Fernand Etgen made it clear how popular the leading bailiff ("huissier dirigeant") was also among the deputies when he bid Baulesch farewell in the public session of December 16 with the words that he belonged to the Chamber "like the foam to the beer". The fact that the usher also appeared as a Houseker (Bogeyman) for years did not diminish his popularity.

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