"A Third of Luxembourgers Live Abroad" assures Xavier Bettel

"Un tiers des Luxembourgeois vivent à l'étranger", assure Xavier Bettel

Carine Lemmer

traduit pour RTL Infos

Le ministre des Affaires étrangères et vice-Premier ministre était l'invité de RTL jeudi matin. Il a été question du passeport luxembourgeois et de la guerre en Ukraine.

Actualisé: 26.02.2026 15:10

© Carine Lemmer

“My heart tells me that I understand them completely, while reason tells me that they are just as necessary back home,” Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Xavier Bettel remarked on RTL on Thursday, responding to the ongoing debate regarding whether Ukrainian men should seek protection in Luxembourg—or the EU—rather than staying to fight in their own country.

Interior Minister Léon Gloden had stated in an interview with RTL last Friday that he found it “bizarre” that, “on the one hand, we are massively supporting Ukraine, yet the very people who are supposed to be fighting for Ukraine are subsequently coming to various EU Member States.” Defense Minister Yuriko Backes also affirmed on Saturday that she, too, viewed this as a problem. Xavier Bettel believes that “this is not an easy decision.” He added, “If I were to be sent to war tomorrow, my own motivation wouldn’t exactly be at its highest, either.”

The decision ultimately rests with the Ukrainians, the Foreign Minister maintains. If the country were to submit a request to the EU asking that young Ukrainian men no longer be eligible for temporary protection, that request would have to be acted upon. However, no such request currently exists.

Another topic discussed with Xavier Bettel was the Luxembourgish passport. In a recent RTL interview featuring Daniel Atz—founder of “LuxCitizenship”—the conversation touched upon the many “new Luxembourgers” residing in Brazil, Argentina, and the United States.

Daniel Atz in conversation with RTL journalist Raphaëlle Dickes

Values ​​and Stability

“The motivations for becoming a Luxembourgish citizen have changed”

“One-third of Luxembourgers live abroad”

“Approximately one-third of all Luxembourgers currently live abroad,” noted Xavier Bettel. Of the 526,000 Luxembourgers, 157,000 live abroad—primarily in France, Brazil, Belgium, Germany, and the United States. Demand for a Luxembourgish passport is particularly high in Brazil and the United States. There are many people in those countries with Luxembourgish roots, as Luxembourgers emigrated to these nations in large numbers in the past. “You would be surprised,” stated Xavier Bettel; “these people are more Luxembourgish than we are.” “Today, we even have mayors in Brazil who hold a Luxembourgish passport.” They actively promote Luxembourg and are eager to visit the Grand Duchy.

How should the participation of Luxembourgers living abroad in elections be managed?

We must collaborate more closely with this community, asserts the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister. Theoretically, tens of thousands of new Luxembourgers could exercise their right to vote—a factor that could potentially impact elections and their outcomes. Moreover, all Luxembourgers living abroad are currently assigned to the Centre electoral district.

Xavier Bettel therefore believes it is necessary to address the question of how Luxembourgers living abroad should be incorporated into the electorate. Several options are possible. The situation could be left as it currently stands, “with the risk—or the potential—(...) that in the Centre district, 50% of the votes could be cast by Luxembourgers living abroad.” Alternatively, a residency requirement could be introduced, mandating that individuals must have lived in Luxembourg for at least two or three years. Another option would be to create a dedicated electoral district for Luxembourgers living abroad, which would entail having a specific Member of Parliament to represent them. Finally, their right to vote could be revoked entirely, adds Xavier Bettel; however, under such a scenario, individuals who have long resided in countries such as France or Germany, for instance, would also lose this right. The 10-Year Luxembourgish Passport Is Set to Arrive This Year

Currently, in Luxembourg, a passport is valid for five years. However, work is underway to extend this validity period to 10 years. At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the preparatory work is complete; only a few technical details remain to be finalized, as the passport must comply with international security standards.

Each year, between 55,000 and 60,000 applications for new passports are submitted. If the validity period is extended from five to 10 years, it will be "a win-win situation for both citizens and the administration."