Djuna Bernard discusses party's direction and leadership transition

Djuna Bernard, soon-to-be MP for the Green Party, discussed party dynamics in an interview with our colleagues from RTL Radio on Wednesday morning.

Reflecting on François Bausch's departure from active politics, Bernard expressed admiration, noting, "He will be missed by all of us." Bausch, a longstanding Green Party figure and former minister, steps aside on Wednesday, creating space in the Chamber of Deputies for Bernard, who did not secure direct re-election in October's legislative elections. She praised Bausch's commitment to constructive opposition politics.

Bernard's return to the Chamber of Deputies also marks her transition from majority to opposition. Following her party's disappointing election results, she initially sought distance but remained active as co-party president, local councillor in Mamer, and candidate in recent European elections. Now, after three election campaigns, Bernard steps down from party leadership.

The call for applications for top party positions officially opens Wednesday. Former MPs Stéphanie Empain and François Benoy have expressed interest in succeeding Bernard and Meris Šehović as party presidents, with the possibility of more applicants emerging. Bernard views this potential competition positively, seeing it as a sign of democratic vitality within the Green Party during challenging times.

It was more than just "Green-Bashing"

Luxembourg had disappointed her, Djuna Bernard wrote on Facebook after last year's legislative elections. She acknowledged on Wednesday morning that her "emotional" post then would not be made today, emphasising that the party has taken the election results seriously and engaged in a thorough internal review process in recent months.

"It wasn't just 'Green-bashing'," Bernard conceded, attributing the party's challenges to broader societal trends. She highlighted communication errors and a failure to sufficiently differentiate from coalition partners as contributing factors. Acknowledging mistakes, Bernard emphasised the importance of learning from them and moving forward.

"I really don't see why people think we're ban-happy"

The new CSV-DP government wants, according to their statements, to make a climate policy that takes people along and does not "annoy" them. Addressing criticisms of the party as "ban-happy," Bernard refuted the characterisation. She noted that while such perceptions exist both domestically and abroad, they do not align with the Green Party's actual policies or intentions. She really cannot see the innumerable bans the Green Party supposedly imposed on people, Bernard said.

The Pim Knaff case: "We should be questioning the DP's moral compass"

Criticism has been directed at the Esch-sur-Alzette local section of the Green Party for their handling of the case surrounding Pim Knaff, a convicted municipal executive board member of the Democratic Party (DP) who refuses to resign.

Djuna Bernard finds it troubling that the Green Party is the one consistently being confronted about their stance in this case. She believes the focus should instead be on questioning the moral compass of the DP. Bernard asserts that her party should not consider leaving the local coalition simply because a DP politician refuses to acknowledge wrongdoing, as she believes this would send the wrong message.

Related -> Esch-sur-Alzette: Local official Pim Knaff found guilty of aggravated tax fraud 

Addressing another issue, Bernard expressed disappointment that the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) has not apologised following the public prosecutor's decision to close the case involving former Minister for the Environment Carole Dieschbourg in the "garden shed affair" without charges. In a recent interview on Radio 100,7, Bernard suggested that an apology would be appropriate now that the prosecutor's office has confirmed no wrongdoing by Dieschbourg in relation to former Diekirch Mayor Roberto Traversini.