Luxembourg’s Minister of the Interior: I hope Poland will join our complaint against Germany

The Minister of Internal Affairs of Luxembourg Leon Gloden told PAP that no one expected one of the smallest countries in the EU to dare to file a complaint against Germany. We did it, and I hope my Polish colleagues will join us to support our concerns about border controls – he added.

Gloden told PAP that Luxembourg filed a complaint with the European Commission in February regarding the border controls maintained by Germany. “No one expected that one of the smallest member states would dare to file a complaint against Germany. We did it, and after this complaint, we received many positive opinions also from Poland” – he emphasized. “We have a similar approach; we are facing the same challenge” – he added.

The minister from Luxembourg added that he hopes Poland will consider the same step. “Our Polish colleagues are also very dissatisfied with these controls, and we hope they will also file a complaint with the Commission to support our complaint” – he stated.

In his opinion, the greatest achievement of European integration, besides the common currency, is at risk. “Here in Schengen, we no longer live in a border region, but we are part of a larger region. People have even stopped talking about borders here” – Gloden pointed out.

In Schengen, where the agreement establishing the freedom of movement was signed 40 years ago, the borders of Luxembourg, Germany, and France converge.

“The only positive aspect of these controls is that people have become aware again of what Schengen means” – he noted. “The freedom of movement has become normal, even in the border region, as people have gotten used to traveling without passports, and now they have to face these controls” – emphasized the minister from Luxembourg.

According to him, the controls have disrupted the rhythm of life. Gloden stated that 55,000 people travel daily from Germany to Luxembourg. “The controls cause huge traffic jams on the highway, but also on smaller bridges (over the Moselle at the Luxembourg-Germany border – PAP), as people try to find faster alternatives” – he said.

The government has set up an email for complaints from people crossing this border daily. Gloden said that these complaints indicate that travel time has increased on average from two to four hours a day.

He added that a similar situation occurred during the pandemic when Germany closed its borders. “It quickly became clear that the virus would not be stopped by border controls. The same is true now. I hope Germany will understand this and soon lift these controls” – Gloden said.

Germany reinstated controls at all borders in September 2024 to curb the flow of migrants. Although according to the Schengen Code, countries can only reinstate controls for six months, in practice, many countries, including Germany, regularly extend them. Currently, a record number of countries – 15 out of 29 states belonging to the Schengen area – are conducting border controls.

Gloden hosted the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of freedom of movement in Europe, organized in the town of Schengen on the border with Germany. EU interior ministers participated, with Poland represented by Tomasz Siemoniak. (13.06.2025)