Luc Frieden dropped out of the top ten in a ranking of Luxembourg’s most popular politician, giving him his worst spot in the so-called “Politmonitor” since becoming prime minister.
The Politmonitor survey, commissioned by the Luxemburger Wort and RTL, surveys voters in the country about the popularity and competence of the country’s members of government and parliament.
Frieden debuted in the survey in third place – behind Xavier Bettel and Paulette Lenert – in March last year after being sworn in as prime minister in November 2023.
He has since then tumbled in the ranking, landing in eighth place in June after squabbles with the country’s labour unions over working hours and the pension reform, and now sliding further to 12th.
Social security minister defends Luxembourg pension reform
Deputy Prime Minister Bettel continues to place at the top of the ranking, followed by Lenert, who served as health minister during the Covid-19 pandemic and has remained stubbornly at the top of the survey since then.
While she is still a member of parliament for the Social Democrats, she holds no other senior political office in the LSAP’s party leadership.
Even though Frieden’s popularity – judged on both competence and likeability – declined, CSV politicians overall fared better in the latest Politmonitor survey than previously. Home Affairs Minister Léon Gloden was one of the big winners, gaining 7 points in the ranking.
The rise comes amid pledges to crack down on drugs and violence in the Gare district, and a tougher stance on migration. However, he still placed only in 16th place out of 41 politicians assessed.
Only one CSV minister placed in the top ten – Martine Hansen, who oversees agriculture and was on Monday announced to succeed Georges Mischo as sports minister.
Mischo handed in his resignation on Sunday after reports over political in-fighting with Finance Minister Gilles Roth over plans for a sports museum in Esch-sur-Alzette. Mischo on 5 December withdrew the plans for a former steel site, saying however that he remains committed to setting up a sports museum in the country.
Mischo ranks in a remote 32nd place in the Polimonitor. The survey for the poll was conducted between 17 to 26 November, with a representative sample of 1,042 Luxembourg nationals aged 18 or over surveyed. The full methodology of the Politmonitor is available on the website of the Luxembourg Independent Audiovisual Authority (Alia).
Marc Spautz, who currently leads the CSV’s group in parliament and will succeed Mischo as labour minister, ranked in joint 12th place with Frieden. The rounding of points sees several politicians ranked jointly even though they have different averages.
The DP fared comparatively well in the ranking, with Bettel joined in the top ten by Defence Minister Yuriko Backes and Economy Minister Lex Delles. Luxembourg City mayor Lydie Polfer features in fourth place.
On the other hand, however, Education Minster Claude Meisch and Culture Minister Eric Thill (both 29th) and Higher Education Minister Stéphanie Obertin (31st) were among the most poorly rated members of government.
Sam Tanson, a member of parliament for the Greens, ranks ninth. The next Green politician in line, however, comes only in 26th place, occupied by Joëlle Welfring, who served as environment minister in the last government and is now a member of parliament for déi Gréng.
Deputies for the right-wing conservative ADR placed towards the bottom of the list with Fred Keup (38th), Alexandra Schoos (40th) and Tom Weidig (41st) deemed among the least likeable and least competent politicians in the country.
A second instalment of the survey, asking voters a series of questions about political priorities, will be published on Wednesday.
