Top CSV candidate cancels TV appearance

The politicians' TV debate on RTL Telé Lëtzebuerg is making more waves than initially assumed.

Top CSV candidate for Luxembourg City Serge Wilmes canceled his participation in the TV debate on Wednesday evening after RTL's decision not to let him debate Luxembourg City mayor Lydie Polfer, as originally planned, but the first deputy and co-top candidate of "Déi Gréng", Sam Tanson instead.

The greens reacted with surprise to the decision of the CSV politician. 

"Of course, the RTL editorial team is free to decide who should compete against whom," Tanson said in a statement. After all, an electoral campaign is primarily about giving voters the opportunity to hear the ideas and arguments of all parties, as part of a lively discussion, she added. 

The statement from the greens also added it was all the more regrettable that the voters would not be able to hear that debate.

"We also do not understand why the CSV's top candidate does not consider it necessary to debate the greens' top candidate," the statement -- in which the greens also wonder about the interpretation of press freedom on the part of the CSV -- concluded.

"Journalistic considerations"

The CSV Stad had already heavily criticised the decision of the RTL editorial team on Wednesday afternoon. In all other debates, the current mayor was debating the top candidate of the strongest opposition party.

This was also foreseen for the city of Luxembourg. But RTL had informed Serge Wilmes on Monday that he would debate Tanson, a decision Wilmes could not understand. 

According to a statement from RTL, journalistic considerations had led to this new approach. The new composition promises a broader debate and thus be of more value for the audience. All the candidates had initially agreed to the change, including Wilmes, the press release said.

(By Eric Hamus, translated from German by Barbara Tasch)