Media policy came before the Chamber three times in the current legislature: in the November 2023 debate on the government programme, with a motion on access to administrative documents; in June 2024, with bill 8128 extending the right of reply to online publications and bill 8204 on digital radio broadcasting; and in April 2025, with a motion asking for a legal framework for citizen and community media. The debates covered transparency, the age of the press law, aid to journalists and to community media, and anonymity on social media. The quotes below are taken verbatim from the Compte rendu officiel of each sitting.
\nOn 1 April 2025, in the debate on the motion asking for a legal framework for citizen and community media, Marc Spautz stated that his party does not consider this the moment to adopt the motion.
\n\n\nAn dofir si mir der Meenung, dass et net de Moment ass, fir d’Motioun unzehuelen.
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And that is why we are of the opinion that this is not the moment to adopt the motion.
\nSitting of 1 April 2025, Marc Spautz, CSV
\nOn 13 June 2024, in the debate on bill 8128 extending the right of reply to online publications, Gusty Graas called the introduction of the right of reply an important step.
\n\n\nEch mengen, mam Aféiere vun dem Äntwertrecht maache mer hei eng ganz wichteg Etapp.
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I think that with the introduction of the right of reply we take a very important step here.
\nSitting of 13 June 2024, Gusty Graas, DP
\nOn 13 June 2024, in the debate on bill 8128 extending the right of reply to online publications, Francine Closener warned the government not to delay the wider press reforms.
\n\n\nMir wëllen awer och heimadder soen, datt mer net bis zum Enn vun dëser Regierung respektiv vun der Regierungszäit waarden, bis déi neideg Reformen zugonschte vun der Press a vun de Journaliste kommen.
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But we also want to say that we will not wait until the end of this government, or of its term, for the reforms needed for the press and for journalists.
\nSitting of 13 June 2024, Francine Closener, LSAP
\nOn 1 April 2025, in the debate on the motion asking for a legal framework for citizen and community media, Francine Closener supported a legal framework with clear criteria for aid to community media.
\n\n\nDofir, an ech sinn och wierklech der Meenung, dass mer e gesetzleche Kader brauchen, dass mer – an dat huet den Här Wagner och scho gesot – kloer Krittäre sollen definéieren, déi dës Meedie mussen erfëllen, fir gehollef kënnen ze kréien, sief et finanziell, sief et op eng aner Manéier.
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Therefore, and I really am of the opinion that we need a legal framework, that we should define clear criteria, as Mr Wagner has already said, which these media must meet in order to receive help, be it financial or in another form.
\nSitting of 1 April 2025, Francine Closener, LSAP
\nOn 1 April 2025, in the debate on the motion asking for a legal framework for citizen and community media, Fred Keup argued for spreading press aid widely to support media pluralism.
\n\n\nMee ech mengen, mir sollen op jidde Fall ënnerstëtzen, dass et vill verschidde Meedie gëtt, an dann eeben och déi méiglech Pressehëllef breet asetzen, fir esou vill wéi méiglech Pluralismus eeben ze garantéieren.
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But I think we should in any case support having many different media, and therefore also use the possible press aid broadly, in order to guarantee as much pluralism as possible.
\nSitting of 1 April 2025, Fred Keup, ADR
\nOn 23 November 2023, while tabling her motion on the 2018 law on access to administrative documents, Sam Tanson judged the new government's record on transparency.
\n\n\nA Saachen Transparenz huet dës Regierung definitiv e Feelstart higeluecht.
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On transparency this government has definitely made a false start.
\nSitting of 23 November 2023, Sam Tanson, déi gréng
\nOn 13 June 2024, in the debate on bill 8128 extending the right of reply to online publications, François Bausch asked for a serious debate on anonymity in social media and forums.
\n\n\nAn dat Zweet ass, datt ech mengen, datt mer och eng Kéier mussen op de Leescht huelen, net nëmmen datt ee sech kann ausdrécken op de soziale Meedien oder op Forumen, wou och ëmmer, mee datt ee misst eng Kéier seriö driwwer diskutéieren iwwert dat, wat do gesot gëtt am Kontext vum Anonymat.
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And the second point is that I think we must also look at this properly, not only at the fact that one can express oneself on social media or in forums, wherever, but that we should once seriously discuss what is said there in the context of anonymity.
\nSitting of 13 June 2024, François Bausch, déi gréng
\nOn 1 April 2025, in the debate on the motion asking for a legal framework for citizen and community media, Djuna Bernard supported a separate legal framework for community media.
\n\n\nDowéinster kann ech nëmmen ënnerstëtzen, dass d’Communitymeedie sollen en eegene Gesetzeskader kréien.
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That is why I can only support community media getting their own legal framework.
\nSitting of 1 April 2025, Djuna Bernard, déi gréng
\nOn 23 November 2023, in the debate on the government programme chapter on media, Ben Polidori welcomed the announced reform of the law on electronic media.
\n\n\nMir Piraten soe scho säit Joren, dass mir en neit Mediegesetz brauchen, well dat aalt trotz an och wéinst de villen Upassungen der Realitéit net gerecht gëtt.
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We Pirates have been saying for years that we need a new media law, because the old one, despite and also because of the many amendments, does not do justice to reality.
\nSitting of 23 November 2023, Ben Polidori, Piraten
\nOn 13 June 2024, in the debate on bill 8128 extending the right of reply to online publications, Ben Polidori criticised the bill as too limited a patch on an old press law.
\n\n\nE puer punktuell Upassunge ginn net duer, fir e Gesetz, dat ursprünglech fir déi geschriwwe Press geduecht war, anstänneg elo un déi aktuell digital Welt vun haut unzepassen.
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A few point changes are not enough to adapt a law originally meant for the written press properly to today's digital world.
\nSitting of 13 June 2024, Ben Polidori, Piraten
\nOn 13 June 2024, in the debate on bill 8128 extending the right of reply to online publications, David Wagner judged the bill unambitious.
\n\n\nJo, et ass net de grousse Worf, deen heite Projet de loi, dat muss een zouginn.
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Yes, this bill is not the great achievement, one has to admit that.
\nSitting of 13 June 2024, David Wagner, déi Lénk
\nOn 1 April 2025, presenting his own motion on citizen and community media, David Wagner explained why community media fall outside the press aid criteria.
\n\n\nDe Problem ass, datt Gemeinschaftsmeedie meeschtens, och wa se méi Leit hunn, net onbedéngt musse Journalisten hunn, well se net déi selwecht Aarbecht maachen.
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The problem is that community media, even when they have more people, mostly do not necessarily have journalists, because they do not do the same work.
\nSitting of 1 April 2025, David Wagner, déi Lénk
\nOn 23 November 2023, on the motion asking the government to reform the 2018 law on access to administrative documents, the Prime Minister rejected the motion on behalf of the government.
\n\n\nDofir kann ech och direkt soen, datt ech déi Motioun, déi do erabruecht ginn ass, am Numm vun der Regierung net wëll unhuelen.
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So I can also say straight away that, on behalf of the government, I do not want to accept the motion that was tabled there.
\nSitting of 23 November 2023, Luc Frieden, Premier ministre
\nOn 23 November 2023, on the same motion, the Prime Minister accepted the proposal from Sam Tanson to discuss the file in committee instead.
\n\n\nEch si bereet, wann ech dat bis alles gelies hunn, datt ech dann an déi zoustänneg Kommissioun mat der Madamm Margue kommen.
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I am ready, once I have read all of it, to come to the competent committee with Ms Margue.
\nSitting of 23 November 2023, Luc Frieden, Premier ministre
\nOn 13 June 2024, in the debate on bill 8128 extending the right of reply to online publications, the Minister for Media and Connectivity explained that the bill answers a Court of Appeal ruling.
\n\n\nEch wollt Iech awer kuerz erklären, firwat mer dat hei gemaach hunn, well mir hunn am Fong hei och reagéiert op en Arrêt vun der Cour d’appel, dee consideréiert huet, datt den Droit de réponse sech nëmme bei enger Publication périodique applizéiert an datt eng Onlinepublicatioun net dorënner fält.
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I wanted to explain briefly why we did this, because we are in fact reacting to a ruling of the Court of Appeal which held that the right of reply applies only to a periodical publication and that an online publication does not fall under it.
\nSitting of 13 June 2024, Elisabeth Margue, Ministre déléguée auprès du Premier ministre, chargée des Médias et de la Connectivité
\nOn 1 April 2025, in the debate on the motion asking for a legal framework for citizen and community media, the Minister for Media and Connectivity stated that no separate framework is needed for now.
\n\n\nAn an deem Sënn mengen ech net, datt mer elo direkt e Kader brauchen.
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And in that sense I do not think that we need a framework right away.
\nSitting of 1 April 2025, Elisabeth Margue, Ministre déléguée auprès du Premier ministre, chargée des Médias et de la Connectivité
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