Xavier Bettel served in the government as Vice-Premier ministre and held the portfolios of Affaires étrangères et du Commerce extérieur and of Coopération et de l’Action humanitaire during the sittings recorded here.
\nSpoke on bills: PL8161, PL8162, PL8285, PL8288, PL8306, PL8455, PL8461, PL8552, PL8612.
\nSittings spoken in: 31.
\n16 October 2025 — stating that the CSSF did not consult the government beforehand
\n\n\nEch si fir Transparenz an ech hunn hei näischt ze verstoppen. Ech widderhuelen: D’CSSF huet eis net au préalable consultéiert.
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I am for transparency and I have nothing to hide here. I repeat: the CSSF did not consult us beforehand.
\n\n16 January 2024 — answering as foreign minister that Luxembourg is a trustworthy partner
\n\n\nJust, Här President, et ass wichteg, dass mer net hei d’Gefill ginn, mir wiere kee vertrauensvolle Partner, soss géife mer och net haut déi zwee Texter stëmmen.
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Just, Mr President, it is important that we do not give the impression here that we are not a trustworthy partner, otherwise we would not be voting these two texts today.
\n\n16 May 2024 — the minister defending Turkey's NATO membership as a channel for dialogue
\n\n\nEch si frou, dass d’Türkei an der NATO ass, well do hu mer eng Plattform, wou mat engem grousse Partner kann echangéiert ginn, an et kann och do nees drun erënnert ginn, wat déi Ziler sinn, déi mer eis gemeinsam ginn hunn.
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I am glad that Turkey is in NATO, because there we have a platform where we can exchange with a big partner, and where we can also remind them of the goals we have set ourselves together.
\n\n14 November 2024 — stating that the government condemns events in Venezuela and does not recognise the results
\n\n\nEch wollt just soen, dass mir dat condamnéieren, wat am Venezuela geschitt. Mir erkennen d’Resultater och net un.
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I just wanted to say that we condemn what is happening in Venezuela. We also do not recognise the results.
\n\n20 November 2024 — defending quiet diplomacy against the call for louder public statements
\n\n\nEch weess dat, mee ech hunn awer eppes geléiert an der Aussepolitick: Wat ee méi Aussepolitick mécht, wou een net driwwer schwätzt, wat se méi effikass ass.
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I know that, but I have learned one thing in foreign policy: the more foreign policy you do without talking about it, the more effective it is.
\n\n10 December 2024 — answering that the government knows who has left Syria but not who has arrived
\n\n\nMee op déi grouss Fro, Här Mosar: Mir wëssen, wie gaang ass; ech kann Iech net soen, wie komm ass.
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But on the big question, Mr Mosar: we know who has gone; I cannot tell you who has come.
\n\n10 December 2024 — reporting that he raised the situation with three Chinese interlocutors
\n\n\nMir hunn déi dräi Interlocuteuren – dat heescht, dee vun Hongkong, dee vum Ausseminister an dee vum Vizepremier – op d’Situatioun ugeschwat.
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We raised the situation with the three interlocutors, that is the one from Hong Kong, the foreign minister and the vice-premier.
\n\n11 December 2024 — calling Georgia one of his greatest disappointments
\n\n\nEch muss Iech soen, Här President, dass Georgien eng vu menge gréissten Enttäuschungen ass.
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I have to tell you that Georgia is one of my greatest disappointments.
\n\n4 March 2025 — denying that Luxembourg vetoed EU sanctions
\n\n\nFir Iech ze informéieren, dass Lëtzebuerg e Veto – soi-disant! – gemaach hätt vis-à-vis vu Sanctiounen, ass falsch!
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To inform you that Luxembourg supposedly used a veto against sanctions is false!
\n\n20 March 2025 — stating that no adoption of sanctions was on the agenda and no vote took place
\n\n\nDat heescht, dass och keng Adoptioun vu Sanktiounen um Ordre du jour war an dass och kee Vott stattfonnt huet.
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That means that no adoption of sanctions was on the agenda and that no vote took place either.
\n\n20 March 2025 — denying that Luxembourg used a veto against sanctions
\n\n\nLëtzebuerg huet an deem ganze Kontext kee Veeto agesat, dass iergendwéi Sanctioune kéinte geholl ginn.
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In this whole context Luxembourg used no veto against sanctions being taken in any way.
\n\n20 March 2025 — stating the government's position that it blocked nothing and wants diplomatic solutions
\n\n\nOp jidde Fall, mir stinn net am Wee. Mir hu keen, näischt blockéiert. Mir sinn der Meenung, dass et wichteg ass, dass diplomatesch a politesch Léisungen op den Terrain kommen.
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In any case, we are not standing in the way. We blocked no one and nothing. We believe it is important that diplomatic and political solutions reach the ground.
\n\n26 June 2025 — the minister saying the new ANS text should be voted as soon as possible
\n\n\nAn dowéinst ass et fir mech wichteg, dass deen neien Text esou séier wéi méiglech och ka gestëmmt ginn.
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And that is why it is important to me that the new text can also be voted as soon as possible.
\n\n29 October 2025 — the minister restating the government's commitment to multilateralism
\n\n\nMee mir gleewe jo un de Multilateralismus an – et ass jo och scho vum Här Cruchten gesot ginn – mir sinn och ëmmer bei der Gebuertsstonn vu multilateralen Organisatiounen dobäi gewiescht.
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But we do believe in multilateralism and, as Mr Cruchten already said, we have always been there at the birth of multilateral organisations.
\n\n20 January 2026 — stating that the government's communiqué on Venezuela should have said international law was not respected
\n\n\nTatsächlech, et hätt ee sollen am Communiqué schreiwen, a mengen Aen, dass dat internationaalt Recht net respektéiert ginn ass.
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In fact, in my view, the communiqué should have said that international law was not respected.
\n\n20 November 2024 — raising, in his own name, the idea of a common European arms industry
\n\n\nMee d’Fro ass, ob et net awer opportun wier, dass mer och eng gemeinsam europäesch Waffenindustrie hätten, amplaz datt jiddwer Land eenzel kuckt, wat et a sengem eegene Land kann hunn.
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But the question is whether it would not be appropriate for us to have a common European arms industry as well, instead of every country looking on its own at what it can have in its own country.
\n\n16 May 2024 — the minister answering the criticism by citing labour-law changes in Ecuador
\n\n\nAm Ecuador sinn Ännerunge komm bei dem Droit du travail a virun allem bei der Lutte géint Kanneraarbecht wéi nach ni virdrun – wéi nach ni virdrun!
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In Ecuador, changes have come to labour law and above all to the fight against child labour as never before – as never before!
\n\n20 November 2024 — explaining what the government requires before agreeing to Mercosur
\n\n\nEt geet just drëm, Garantien ze kréien, dass mer e Level-Playingfield hunn, dat heescht, dass déi Normen, virun allem awer déi sanitär Normen, déi fir eis zielen, och hei gi sinn.
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It is only about getting guarantees that we have a level playing field, that is, that the standards, and above all the sanitary standards that count for us, are met here too.
\n\n11 December 2024 — rejecting the claim that Luxembourg profits one-sidedly from the Greater Region
\n\n\nEt ass eng Win-win-Situatioun. Et ass keng Win-lose-Situatioun, et ass keng Lose-lose-Situatioun.
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It is a win-win situation. It is not a win-lose situation, it is not a lose-lose situation.
\n\n26 June 2025 — the minister criticising déi Lénk for seeing a danger in every opportunity
\n\n\nDowéinster, haalt op, an all Opportunitéit fir d’éischt eng Gefor ze gesinn!
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So stop seeing a danger first in every opportunity!
\n\n29 October 2025 — the minister defending the current Mercosur text
\n\n\nMee dee Mercosur, dee mer haut um Dësch hunn, ass net dee Mercosur, dee mer nach virun zwee Joer um Dësch haten.
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But the Mercosur we have on the table today is not the Mercosur we had on the table two years ago.
\n\n4 March 2026 — the foreign minister declaring his support for the Benelux Parliament
\n\n\nAn ech muss Iech soen, dass ech deen Éischte sinn, deen ëmmer wäert e Benelux-Parlament verteidegen.
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And I must tell you that I am the first who will always defend a Benelux Parliament.
\n\n29 April 2026 — stating how many EU officials and agents work in Luxembourg
\n\n\nA mir hunn am Moment iwwer 15.000 EU-Beamten an -Agenten, déi och hei zu Lëtzebuerg schaffen.
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And we currently have more than 15,000 EU officials and agents who work here in Luxembourg.
\n\n29 April 2026 — warning that many translation posts may be lost in the coming years
\n\n\nAn do ass ee Risk, dass mer beim Centre de traduction a bei alldeem, wat am Fong Iwwersetzen ass, an deenen nächste Jore wäerten e Risk hunn, dass vill Plaze verluer ginn.
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And there is a risk that at the Translation Centre, and in everything that is translation work, we will run a risk in the coming years that many posts are lost.
\n\n16 January 2024 — answering the debate as foreign minister and stating that a ceasefire is needed
\n\n\nDofir: Et ass mer egal, wéi Dir e wëllt nennen, mee et brauch een e Cessez-le-feu.
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So: I do not mind what you want to call it, but a ceasefire is needed.
\n\n30 January 2024 — answering that the government will wait for the inquiry before deciding
\n\n\nEch kann Iech soen: Fir ons Lëtzebuerger Regierung wëlle mer och déi Enquête ofwaarden.
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I can tell you: for our Luxembourg government, we too want to wait for the inquiry.
\n\n14 May 2024 — recommending that the Chamber withdraw the motion on recognising Palestine
\n\n\nEch géif Iech perséinlech recommandéieren – d’Chamber mécht wat se wëll –, dës Motioun haut zeréckzezéien.
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I would personally recommend to you - the Chamber does what it wants - that you withdraw this motion today.
\n\n14 November 2024 — asking the Chamber not to fall into symbolic politics
\n\n\nHär President, huelt mir et net iwwel, mee ech wier frou, wann dës Chamber net an esou eng Symbolpolitick géif verfalen!
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President, do not take it amiss, but I would be glad if this Chamber did not fall into such symbolic politics!
\n\n20 November 2024 — defending continued Luxembourg funding of UNRWA
\n\n\nMee am Moment gëtt et keng Alternativ zur UNRWA am Gaza.
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But at the moment there is no alternative to UNRWA in Gaza.
\n\n12 February 2025 — answering that there is at present no realistic alternative to UNRWA
\n\n\nEch kann Iech just soen: Am Moment gëtt et keng Alternativ, déi do realistesch ass!
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I can only tell you: at the moment there is no realistic alternative there!
\n\n26 June 2025 — the minister reporting that several EU states oppose any sanctions against Israel
\n\n\nWéi Der wësst, hu mer do och verschidde Länner, déi géint all Sanctioun vis-à-vis vun Israel sinn.
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As you know, we also have several countries there that are against any sanction towards Israel.
\n\n9 July 2025 — the minister calling the proposed closure symbolic politics that would punish government critics in Israel
\n\n\nHei elo en LTIO wëllen zouzemaachen, ass wierklech nees pur Symbolpolitick – pur Symbolpolitick! –, wann ech mer erlabe kann, dat ze soen, a wäert souguer Leit, déi haut an Israel kritesch vis-à-vis vun der Regierung sinn, bestrofen.
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Wanting to close an LTIO here is once again pure symbolic politics, pure symbolic politics, if I may say so, and it would even punish people in Israel who are critical of the government today.
\n\n16 October 2025 — stating the government's position that peace in Palestine produces Israel's security
\n\n\nWell de Fridden a Palästina gëtt d’Sécherheet vun Israel.
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Because peace in Palestine gives Israel its security.
\n\n20 January 2026 — stating that the government would not oppose putting the Revolutionary Guards on the EU terrorist list
\n\n\nDir wësst, dass mer jo och schonn eng Rëtsch vun individuelle Leit op Lëschte gesat hunn, mee wann déi Gardes de la révolution och op d’Lëscht géife kommen, géife mer eis net opposéieren.
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You know that we have already put a number of individuals on lists, but if the Revolutionary Guards were also put on the list, we would not oppose it.
\n\n30 April 2026 — the minister reporting the message passed to the Israeli authorities
\n\n\nMir hunn och den Israeelien de Message duerchginn, sou wéi d’Italieener an déi Däitsch, dass dat internationaalt Recht sollt och respektéiert ginn an dass och all irresponsabel Aktioun sollt evitéiert ginn.
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We also passed the message to the Israelis, as the Italians and the Germans did, that international law should be respected and that any irresponsible action should be avoided.
\n\n16 January 2024 — answering as foreign minister and naming Russia as the aggressor
\n\n\nEch wëll net polemiséieren, mee ech wëll drun erënneren, dass den Aggresseur am Ukrain-Krich Russland ass an dass mer awer net sollen eng Inversion des rôles maachen.
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I do not want to polemicise, but I want to recall that the aggressor in the Ukraine war is Russia and that we should not reverse the roles.
\n\n16 January 2024 — stating the government's position that Russian assets stay frozen rather than seized
\n\n\nMir sinn der Meenung, soulaang mer keng international Decisioun hunn, solle mer se freezen.
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We are of the view that as long as we have no international decision, we should keep them frozen.
\n\n20 November 2024 — answering on NATO membership and insisting that aid to Ukraine must continue
\n\n\nMee mir dierfen dofir awer elo net ophalen, hinnen Hëllef ze ginn. Dat wier dee falschste Message, dee mer den Ukrainer kéinte ginn.
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But we must not stop giving them help because of that. That would be the most wrong message we could give the Ukrainians.
\n\n29 October 2025 — the minister explaining the government's condition for using frozen Russian assets
\n\n\nNee, mir soe just depuis le départ, dass mer, éischtens, eng juristesch Basis wëllen hunn, déi wierklech fest ass.
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No, we have only said from the start that, first, we want a legal basis that is really solid.
\n\n19 March 2026 — answering deputies on why the government supports creating the tribunal
\n\n\nWann et hëlleft, fir dass d’Ukrainer méi staark an d’Negociatioune kënne kommen, sinn ech der Meenung, dass dës Kreatioun och wichteg ass.
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If it helps the Ukrainians to come into the negotiations in a stronger position, then I take the view that this creation is important too.
\n\n16 May 2024 — the minister replying that no decision has been taken yet
\n\n\nEch hunn nach guer keng Decisioun geholl, Här President, nach guer keng!
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I have taken no decision at all yet, Mr President, none at all!
\n\n16 May 2024 — the minister stating that the conventions have been extended to the end of next year
\n\n\nDofir hu mer jo express d’Prolongatioun vun de Konventioune gemaach bis den 31. Dezember vum nächste Joer.
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That is precisely why we extended the conventions until 31 December of next year.
\n\n12 February 2025 — asking the Chamber not to adopt the motion on withdrawing cooperation from Rwanda
\n\n\nAn dofir wier ech och ganz frou, wann d’Chamber déi drëtt Motioun, déi lescht elo iwwert de Ruanda, net géif unhuelen.
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And so I would be very glad if the Chamber did not adopt the third motion, the last one, on Rwanda.
\n\n10 July 2025 — the Minister of Cooperation defending his decision not to receive the crisis manager himself
\n\n\nE Minister ass do, fir politesch Decisiounen ze huelen. Déi hunn ech och geholl an deem doten Dossier.
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A minister is there to take political decisions. And I did take them in this file.
\n\n4 March 2026 — the foreign minister presenting the agreement as a strengthened partnership with 79 countries
\n\n\nAn dat, wat hei wichteg ass, ass, dass et eng verstäerkte Partnerschaft mat 79 Länner ass.
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And what is important here is that this is a strengthened partnership with 79 countries.
\n\n19 March 2026 — warning what the Chamber's earlier additionality motion adds to yearly spending
\n\n\nEch wollt just warnen, dass mer alljoers eng 70 Millioune bis 80 Millioune méi ausgi wéi dat, wat mer am Koalitiounsaccord hunn, wéinst där Motioun.
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I only wanted to warn that every year we spend some 70 to 80 million more than what we have in the coalition agreement, because of that motion.
\n\n20 January 2026 — giving the change in the share of men and women in his ministry since 2010
\n\n\n2010 fänkt et u bei 72,5 % Männer a 27,5 % Fraen, woubäi mer haut, wéi gesot, bei 55,6 % a 44,4 % ukomm sinn.
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In 2010 it starts at 72.5% men and 27.5% women, whereas today, as I said, we have reached 55.6% and 44.4%.
\n\n20 January 2026 — explaining the low share of women among heads of post by past recruitment and the seniority principle
\n\n\nDat ass eeben, well och vill méi Männer agestallt gi sinn. A bei eis ass awer och de Prinzipp vun der Anciennetéit, fir Ambassadeur ze ginn.
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That is because many more men were recruited. And with us the principle of seniority also applies for becoming an ambassador.
\n\n16 May 2024 — the minister stating that an accident at Cattenom would hit Luxembourg
\n\n\nEch kann Iech just soen, dass, wann zu Cattenom eppes geschitt, mir dann hei Problemer hunn, an dat ass eng Realitéit!
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I can only tell you that if something happens at Cattenom, we have problems here, and that is a reality!
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