Banking and credit runs from the coalition programme debate of 23 November 2023 to the CRD VI transposition of 30 April 2026. The sittings covered the mortgage-lending squeeze and the government's running dialogue with the banks, the standing crisis over opening or closing a bank account for businesses and NGOs, the dispute over a Belgian-style central credit register, the state's leverage over Spuerkeess as a state-owned bank, and the prudential package on non-performing loans and capital rules (bills 8185, 8353, 8563, and 8627), alongside cash use and digital payment fraud. Some of the underlying EU capital and resolution rules are also touched on in The financial centre and financial regulation, which this page does not repeat. The quotes below are taken verbatim from the Compte rendu officiel of each sitting.
\nOn 23 November 2023, in the debate on the coalition programme, Marc Spautz argued that banks bailed out during the financial crisis should now show the same flexibility towards mortgage holders.
\n\n\nD’Banke waren och frou, wéi deemools d’Decisioun gefall ass, fir si ze retten. Da solle si och elo de Leit hëllefen, fir dass d’Leit kënne gerett ginn.
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The banks were also glad when the decision was taken back then to save them. So they should now help people, so that people can be saved too.
\nSitting of 23 November 2023, Marc Spautz, CSV
\nOn 25 April 2024, during the budget debate on a motion for a central credit register, Diane Adehm rejected the claim that her report as rapporteur had proposed credit scoring or a Schufa-style system.
\n\n\nEch hunn ni vun engem Credit Scoring geschwat! Ech hunn ni vun enger SCHUFA geschwat! Dat Eenzegt, wat ech a mengem Rapport sot, dat ass: Et kéint ee mol kucken, wéi déi Centrale de crédits an der Belsch – an der Belsch! – fonctionéiert!
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I never spoke of credit scoring! I never spoke of a Schufa! The only thing I said in my report is that one could look at how the credit register in Belgium works.
\nSitting of 25 April 2024, Diane Adehm, CSV
\nOn 12 February 2026, during extended questions on the state of play on bank account opening, Laurent Mosar cited a bank chief executive's own figure for how long the process takes.
\n\n\nAn zesumme mam Finanzminister ware mer virun engem knappe Joer an enger Table ronde, wou selwer de CEO vun enger grousser lëtzebuergescher Bank eis gesot huet, datt et an der Moyenne – lauschtert gutt no! – fënnef Méint dauert, ier e Bankekont opgemaach gëtt.
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Together with the Finance Minister, we were, just under a year ago, at a round table where the CEO of a large Luxembourg bank himself told us that, on average, listen carefully, it takes five months for a bank account to be opened.
\nSitting of 12 February 2026, Laurent Mosar, CSV
\nOn 3 July 2024, during the debate on bill 8185 (PL8185 — Transfert de crédits) transposing the EU non-performing-loans directive, André Bauler welcomed the new framework as a lesson from the 2008 financial crisis.
\n\n\nAls DP begréisse mer, datt dann elo e klore Kader hei geschaf gëtt, e Kader, dee seet, wéi dat ka stattfannen. A mir wëssen, dat huet och d’Finanzkris vun 2008 gewisen, datt mer esou prezis Reegele brauchen, fir d’Gestioun vu risikoräiche Kreditter, déi deelweis net méi rembourséiert ginn, ze handhaben.
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As the DP we welcome that a clear framework is now created here, a framework that says how this can take place. And we know, the 2008 financial crisis also showed this, that we need such precise rules to handle the management of risky loans that are partly no longer repaid.
\nSitting of 3 July 2024, André Bauler, DP
\nOn 15 October 2025, during the LSAP-requested topical hour on digital banking fraud, André Bauler described the new mandatory verification of the beneficiary's name on transfers.
\n\n\nZanter leschter Woch gëtt d’Vérification du bénéficiaire ëmgesat. Bei engem Virement kuckt dʼBank also elo no, ob d’Kontosnummer mam Numm vum Beneficiaire iwwereneestëmmt.
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Since last week, verification of the beneficiary has been put in place. On a transfer, the bank now checks whether the account number matches the beneficiary's name.
\nSitting of 15 October 2025, André Bauler, DP
\nOn 30 October 2025, during the debate on bill 8563 (PL8563 — BCEE et POST) modernising the 1989 law on Spuerkeess, André Bauler described the state-owned bank's role in the national economy.
\n\n\nD’Spuerkeess spillt als staatlech Universalbank eng Schlësselroll an eiser nationaler Wirtschaft. A mat deene verschiddene Finanzservicer a Kreditter gi souwuel d’Menagen, d’Privatpersounen, awer och d’Betriber gefërdert.
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As a state universal bank, Spuerkeess plays a key role in our national economy. And with its various financial services and loans, households, private individuals, and businesses alike are supported.
\nSitting of 30 October 2025, André Bauler, DP
\nOn 13 June 2024, during a parliamentary question on access to banking services, Mars Di Bartolomeo asked whether it was normal for Spuerkeess and other state-linked banks to reduce their branch services.
\n\n\nFënnt d’Regierung déi däitlech Ausdënnung vun de Banken hire Servicer um Bierger, deen net vernetzt ass, normal? Ass et normal, datt eis Spuerkeess an aner Banken, déi enk mat hirem Aktionär Staat verbonne sinn, vill Clientë virun zouenen Diere stoe loossen?
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Does the government find it normal, this marked scaling back of banks' services for the citizen who is not connected? Is it normal that our Spuerkeess and other banks, which are closely linked to their shareholder the state, leave many customers standing in front of closed doors?
\nSitting of 13 June 2024, Mars Di Bartolomeo, LSAP
\nOn 3 July 2024, during the same debate on bill 8185, Franz Fayot cited the CSSF's own figure for non-performing mortgage loans in Luxembourg.
\n\n\nWann een e Bléck op de Lëtzebuerger Marché geheit, da konnt een de rezenten Aussoe vum Generaldirekter vun der CSSF enthuelen, dass beispillsweis 1,8 % vun den Immobiliekreditter den Ament net méi kéinten zeréckbezuelt ginn.
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If one looks at the Luxembourg market, one could gather from the CSSF director general's recent statements that, for example, 1.8% of mortgage loans currently could no longer be repaid.
\nSitting of 3 July 2024, Franz Fayot, LSAP
\nOn 23 November 2023, in the debate on the coalition programme, Sam Tanson noted with interest that the government planned to look at mortgage credit in dialogue with the banks.
\n\n\nMat Interessi liesen ech och, datt soll gekuckt ginn, wat kéint bei de Kreditter gemaach ginn am Dialog mat de Banken an de Kontrollinstitutiounen.
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I also read with interest that the plan is to look at what could be done about loans in dialogue with the banks and the supervisory institutions.
\nSitting of 23 November 2023, Sam Tanson, déi gréng
\nOn 18 March 2026, during the LSAP-requested topical hour on the government's response to US sanctions, Sam Tanson argued that Spuerkeess's account closures carried direct state responsibility because the state sits on its board.
\n\n\nmee vun enger Bank, an där de Lëtzebuerger Staat en Aktionär ass, an där d’Lëtzebuerger Regierung Mandatairen am Verwaltungsrot sëtzen huet, an där d’Lëtzebuerger Regierung e Commissaire de Gouvernement sëtzen huet, alles Nominatiounen, déi iwwert de Regierungsrot lafen!
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But of a bank in which the Luxembourg state is a shareholder, in which the Luxembourg government has representatives sitting on the board, and in which the Luxembourg government has a government commissioner sitting, all nominations that go through the Council of Government!
\nSitting of 18 March 2026, Sam Tanson, déi gréng
\nOn 25 April 2024, during the same budget debate on the credit register motion, Sven Clement pointed to criticism of credit scoring in the United States and Germany.
\n\n\nDe System vum Credit Scoring gëtt et schonn a verschiddenen anere Länner, dorënner d’USA an Däitschland. A béide Länner ass dëse System staark kritiséiert.
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The credit scoring system already exists in several other countries, including the USA and Germany. In both countries this system is strongly criticised.
\nSitting of 24 April 2024, Sven Clement, Piraten
\nOn 3 July 2024, during the debate on bill 8185, Marc Goergen criticised the bill for protecting banks' balance sheets rather than the borrowers behind non-performing loans.
\n\n\nDat heescht, Dir schwätzt hei vun net performante Kreditter an Dir maacht Iech Suergen ëm d’Bilane vun de Banken. Also mir gëtt et schwindeleg, wann ech ëmmer liesen, wat eng Bank fir Benefisser mécht!
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That means you are talking here about non-performing loans and you are worried about the banks' balance sheets. So it makes me dizzy whenever I read what profit a bank makes!
\nSitting of 3 July 2024, Marc Goergen, Piraten
\nOn 15 October 2025, during the topical hour on digital banking fraud, Marc Goergen proposed a fraud-victim compensation fund modelled on the deposit guarantee ceiling.
\n\n\nEch sinn awer och der Meenung, dass eng Garantie muss opgestallt ginn – an ech hu mech do einfach emol orientéiert un deenen 100.000 Euro, wann zum Beispill eng Bank géing Faillite maachen
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I am also of the opinion that a guarantee must be set up, and I based myself simply on the 100,000 euros that apply if a bank were to go bankrupt.
\nSitting of 15 October 2025, Marc Goergen, Piraten
\nOn 14 May 2024, during the debate on bill 8353 (PL8353 — Marché du logement) on housing-market measures, David Wagner raised the case of an ASBL building affordable housing that the state-owned bank asked for own capital it could not raise.
\n\n\nwann ASBLen, déi dat maachen, bei eng gewësse Bank ginn – an et ass eeben déi staatlech Bank, déi mer hei zu Lëtzebuerg hunn; do gëtt et vläicht e klenge Malentendu –, déi u sech freet: „Dir musst Fonds propres hu vun 2,5 %“, wat zum Beispill bei engem Bien, huele mer un, vun enger Millioun Euro ëmmerhin eppes ausmécht.
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When ASBLs doing this go to a certain bank, and it is precisely the state bank we have here in Luxembourg, there may be a small misunderstanding, which itself asks: \"You must have own funds of 2.5%\", which for example on a property worth a million euros still amounts to something.
\nSitting of 14 May 2024, David Wagner, déi Lénk
\nOn 3 July 2024, during the debate on bill 8185, David Wagner warned that a family's unpaid loan could be resold to a US hedge fund and pursued by a debt collector.
\n\n\nWell d’Realitéit ass jo déi, datt tatsächlech eng Famill, déi duerno an engem Litige ass an e Prêt net méi kann zréckbezuelen, dann deemno wéi – an ouni sech kënnen ze verteidegen – e Bréif kritt vun engem Scholdenandreiwer, well dee Kreditt vläicht och deemno wéi nach un en US-Hedgefonds weiderverkaaft ginn ass.
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Because the reality is that a family which then ends up in a dispute and can no longer repay a loan then, without being able to defend itself, gets a letter from a debt collector, because that loan may have been resold to a US hedge fund.
\nSitting of 3 July 2024, David Wagner, déi Lénk
\nOn 19 November 2025, during the déi Lénk topical hour on the rental market, David Wagner argued that the state's stake in two banks gave it some influence it could use.
\n\n\nmir sinn awer och der Meenung, datt et wéinstens hei zu Lëtzebuerg zwou Banke gëtt, wou de Staat awer och e gewëssenen Afloss hat
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We are however also of the opinion that there are at least two banks here in Luxembourg where the state did have a certain influence.
\nSitting of 19 November 2025, David Wagner, déi Lénk
\nOn 14 May 2024, during the debate on bill 8353, the Minister of Finance explained that capital requirements for mortgage lending are set by the CSSF and the European Central Bank, not by the government.
\n\n\ndat macroprudentiel – esou nennt dat sech – Reegele si fir d’Banke vun der Commission de surveillance du secteur financier, also der CSSF, an dat geet bis erop op d’Europäesch Zentralbank fir déi systeemesch Banken an déi grouss Banken
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Those macroprudential rules, as they are called, are set for banks by the Commission de surveillance du secteur financier, the CSSF, and that goes all the way up to the European Central Bank for the systemic and large banks.
\nSitting of 14 May 2024, Gilles Roth, Ministre des Finances
\nOn 25 June 2025, during the debate on bill 8498 (PL8498 — Listing Package) on markets in financial instruments, the Minister of Finance described insisting at ECOFIN on the home/host principle for deposit-guarantee supervision.
\n\n\ndass mer op dee sougenannten Home/Host-Prinzipp pochen, nämlech dass d’Sécherheet vun den Depoten an all eenzelnem Memberstaat gekuckt gëtt, an net zentral do, wou den Haaptsëtz vu grousse Finanzdéngschtleeschter ass, well dat kéint d’Stabilitéit och um Niveau vun eisen Depotsgarantien zu Lëtzebuerg affektéieren.
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That we insist on the so-called home/host principle, namely that the safety of deposits is assessed in each individual member state, and not centrally where the head office of large financial service providers is, because that could affect stability at the level of our deposit guarantees in Luxembourg too.
\nSitting of 25 June 2025, Gilles Roth, Ministre des Finances
\nOn 30 April 2026, during the debate on bill 8627 (PL8627) transposing CRD VI and EMIR 3.0, the Minister of Finance gave the banking sector's solvency ratio.
\n\n\nDe Solvabilitéitsratio vun eise Banken oder vun der Bankeplaz zu Lëtzebuerg, deen ass stabill mat 23,1 % op Enn 2024 an deen ass op 2025 souguer an d’Luucht gaang op 23,5 %.
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The solvency ratio of our banks, or of the banking centre in Luxembourg, is stable at 23.1% at the end of 2024, and in 2025 it even rose to 23.5%.
\nSitting of 30 April 2026, Gilles Roth, Ministre des Finances
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