President’s statement – “Together we are the Luxembourg economy”

A statement by President Michel Reckinger on the occasion of his nomination.

Ladies and gentlemen, business owners and managers,

We are craftsmen, traders, restaurant owners, industrialists and financial professionals.

Together we represent the economic fabric of Luxembourg. We create values and perspectives for the community and for the individuals who make it up. We are proud of our professions and the work we do in our companies.

At the same time, we are aware that all economic activity takes place in a social context. The economy and companies are an integral part of society. In order to participate in the societal and political debate, the different economic sectors have set up employers’ organisations that represent the interests of companies while taking into account the positions of other stakeholders.

The Union des Entreprises Luxembourgeoises (UEL), of which I have just taken over the presidency, is the grouping of 6 sectoral federations and 2 professional chambers. Together, we deal with the major horizontal issues that concern all companies, such as taxation, labour relations and social security.

Michel Reckinger, UEL President © Laurent Antonelli

UEL works for a sustainable and prosperous economy for the country, its people and those who work here.

We therefore accept that companies have a social responsibility that goes beyond their commercial objectives. On the other hand, we believe that the social partners and politicians have an economic responsibility towards companies and their ability to generate added value.

In recent years, we have found that the concerns of business have not been adequately addressed by either the government or the trade unions.

The organisation of work, administrative burdens, numerous automatic processes and lack of productivity are all issues that pose serious problems for small and large companies alike and for which satisfactory solutions are lacking.

The pandemic, the consequences of which will be with us for a long time to come, has highlighted the inequality of treatment suffered by the self-employed, who are far from benefiting from the same social coverage as employees. Moreover, housing and the energy transition are other challenges that have a strong impact on businesses. The list of policy areas on which we must act is therefore long.

As President of UEL, my priority will be to bring more economic considerations and the positive role of business into the political debate. Although this may seem trivial, social and ecological progress is only possible thanks to a dynamic economy and competitive companies that provide the financial and budgetary basis for every policy. Unfortunately, some actors do not bear this in mind when making decisions that affect us.

As business leaders, we need to actively engage in the debate and defend our common cause. Join your sectoral organisation if you have not already done so. If we want to play a more active role in politics, we need to give ourselves the means to do so. Every entrepreneur is an ambassador for their business. Tell your friends and acquaintances about the challenges you are facing.

The key to our success is to make as many people as possible accept the legitimacy of our positions, which are, in the vast majority of cases, geared towards the sustainability of our country and not towards the quest for short-term profit. It is this reality that we want to bring back to the heart of the debate.

There is only one economy in Luxembourg and everyone depends on it. Businesses, employees and the community: everyone has a role to play in safeguarding a Luxembourg that is good to live in.

I thank you now for your support.

With kind regards,

Michel Reckinger

President of UEL