Gramegna: A polarising five years

To say Luxembourg's finance minister elicits strong reactions is as much of an understatement as saying Porsches are not unpopular in the country. Everyone in the industry has something to say about Pierre Gramegna, from those who say they cannot imagine a better finance minister to those who accuse him of putting his persona before the country. Whether they have endless praise or aspersions for the minister, everyone seems to agree on two things: his temperament and his being resolutely "Italian".

Gramegna grew up in Luxembourg's south, in Esch/Alzette, where he also went to high school before studying in Paris. He then joined the Foreign Affairs Ministry and worked as an adviser at the Luxembourgish Embassy in Paris before becoming director of the Board of Economic Development in San Francisco.