Young and impatient

Alex Donnersbach has been president of the Chrëschtlech-Sozial Jugend since 2018. Together with his General Secretary Basile Dell, he was confirmed for another mandate period by the CSJ Congress in March with a record-breaking 98 percent of the votes. The 29-year-old lawyer, who has also worked for CSV MEP Christophe Hansen, works in a law firm and has been a member of the Walferdange municipal council since 2017. CSJ General Secretary Basile Dell is 26 years old and graduated in economics in Brussels this year.

The interview was held the week before last.

Lëtzebuerger Journal: You are young, you are impatient, you finally want to join the Chamber, where people like Viviane Reding (70), Ali Kaes (66), Jean-Marie Halsdorf (64) or Françoise Hetto (61), who are not exactly known in the Parliament for their exaggerated zeal for their work, simply do not want to give way. Yet the CSJ apparently has young people in all four districts who could move up, as it never tires of pointing out. The aforementioned politicians are not likely to be impressed by this. Are you frustrated?

Alex Donnersbach: It is no secret that the CSJ has been pushing for renewal at the CSV in recent weeks and months. However, not terribly much has happened. So we cannot be satisfied. At the same time, it has to be said that more and more young people have taken on responsibility in the municipalities. That gives us hope for the future.

Which municipalities are you talking about?

AD: The capital city for example, Esch/Alzette …

Basile Dell: … Weiler-la-Tour, Echternach …

AD: … we have people in many municipal councils who also have potential, actually in all the larger municipalities. In the Luxembourg electoral system, it's all about personal votes, which makes this easier.

But this does not prevent the politicians mentioned from not withdrawing …

AD: In any case, we have not noticed that anyone wants to retire.

Your CSJ predecessor Elisabeth Margue, who is to be elected Co-President of the CSV at an extraordinary congress in autumn and who would succeed her as the next elected member of parliament in the event of the voluntary departure of a centrist MP, is likely to remain unknown to the general public. The CSV in particular is in dire need of new faces.

AD: There will be a change in the statutes in September. Only then can the co-leaders be elected, as this cannot happen at the same Congress. So the actual election of Elisabeth Margue would only be in March.

Then it will be quite a long time before the CSV gets a co-president …

AD: (laughs) The Socialists have also announced that they want to introduce a dual leadership, and this has not happened yet. We will probably get it done before the LSAP.