Interview with Yuriko Backes, Minister of Defence, Minister for Mobility and Public Works, and Minister for Gender Equality and Diversity.
Please share with our readers your life history so they better understand who you are and the experiences which have shaped you?
Born in Japan to Luxembourgish parents, I spent much of my childhood in Kobe, where I graduated from the Canadian Academy, an international high school. My academic journey then led me to the UK, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science, followed by a master’s degree in Japanese studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies. I further enriched my education with a second master’s degree from the College of Europe in Bruges.
My professional career began at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where I held various positions, including assignments at the Permanent Representation of Luxembourg to the United Nations in New York and the Permanent Representation of Luxembourg to the European Union in Brussels. Serving my country in these roles was deeply fulfilling, and a personal highlight was returning to Japan in 2006 as the deputy head of mission at the Luxembourg Embassy in Tokyo.
In 2010, I assumed the role of diplomatic advisor and Sherpa [Ed: During the preliminary preparatory process which takes place in advance of a G7 summit, the leader of a G7 host country conventionally invites representatives from the other G7 participants to send representatives known as “sherpas” to develop the agenda topics and other matters.] to then Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, a position I had the privilege of continuing under the former Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel. This “behind the scenes” role was both challenging and exhilarating. From 2016 to 2020, I had the honor of representing the European Commission in Luxembourg, reinforcing my strong connection to European politics. I then served as Marshal of the Grand Ducal Court until 2021.
In 2022, I was appointed Luxembourg’s first female Minister of Finance, a role which I served with great pride. Following the general elections in October 2023, I have taken on a new challenge of Minister for Mobility and Public Works, Minister of Defense and Minister for Gender Equality.
In my new role, I am committed to addressing several of our nation’s current and future challenges:
- adapting the infrastructure to the anticipated 40% increase in transportation needs by 2035,
- transforming our Armed Forces and increasing our defense investments to meet the NATO target of 2%,
- implementing measures to promote gender equality and advocate for more diversity in all areas of life, especially related to LGBTQI+ persons and their needs and rights.
The different ministerial responsibilities I oversee are diverse, each presenting its own unique challenges and opportunities in terms of budget allocations or overall policymaking. Despite their distinct focuses, each portfolio under my responsibility is vital in its impact on the future of Luxembourg and well-being of the people living and working here.
What are the values which guide your decision making and why are they important to you?
Throughout my professional career, I have always attached special importance to progress and innovation, values that are not only fundamental to my personal commitment, but also reflect the ambitions of my three ministries. While significant progress has been made over the last few years, it is essential to maintain this dynamism and collaborative effort from all stakeholders to meet the future needs of the society.
What are the three biggest challenges you will be dealing with in the Directorate of Defense during the next years and how do you plan to deal with them?
In a world in which multilateralism is losing ground, geopolitical tensions are on the rise, and established national borders are being openly challenged with military might, as seen in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, both the EU and NATO have had to shift their strategic postures. Merely promoting their values and conducting crises prevention and management beyond their borders is no longer enough. If we want to defend our citizens, territory, values, and interests, we need a more credible deterrence. These key tasks bring along three challenges for Luxembourg’s Defense delivering its fair share to collective defense:
- Transformation: Together with our Ally Belgium, Luxembourg committed to deliver to NATO a binational medium combat reconnaissance battalion. This ambitious goal requires substantial additional efforts, including more and better trained personnel, higher responsiveness, and the acquisition of heavier armed combat vehicles leading to more robust military capabilities.
- Investment: The reinforcement of NATO’s deterrence and defense posture calls for increased investments by Allies in their defense. Luxembourg will shoulder its responsibility as an Ally, we will continue to share the burden by keeping our boots on the ground and by honoring our commitment to meet the 2% defense investment guideline by 2030. Since 2014, Luxembourg has more than tripled its defense investments, and we will double this again by 2030.
- Recruitment: The ongoing transformation and the increasing investments go hand in hand with the expansion of our staff. We need more women and men to fulfil all of our missions and adequately manage our projects. I still see room for improvement, especially when it comes to recruiting women.
Please give us your assessment of the current situation in Ukraine and what support has and is Luxembourg giving to Ukraine?
The situation in Ukraine is unacceptable. Russia is committing atrocities and war crimes, wounding and killing innocent people and soldiers. They are bombing civilian and military infrastructure in an indiscriminate and illegitimate way. Ukraine needs our continued support be it by the provision of both lethal and non-lethal equipment.
We have seen that deliveries have taken too long. That is why I welcome the decision by Allies at the NATO Summit in Washington to task NATO with the coordination of the military support and training for Ukraine. This effort, combined with the announced pledge of long-term security assistance, will help Ukraine to defend itself today and deter Russian aggression in the future.
Luxembourg was among the first to react to Russia’s war of aggression. In 2022, rapidly a first delivery of national light anti-tank weapons to Ukraine was successfully accomplished.
Over the last 31 months, Luxembourg has released substantial funds for the military support to Ukraine. In Ukraine, and among our Allies, we are recognized as a relevant player. We are leading the IT Coalition together with Estonia and are involved in the Artillery Coalition and the Air Force Capability Coalition. All of this is making a difference on the battlefield.
Any investment in Ukraine is also an investment in our own security. For the sake of our common security, Ukraine must win this war.
How as this situation in Ukraine impacted the Luxembourg military regarding preparedness, military cooperation within NATO and recruitment/retention of soldiers?
Following the launch of Russia’s full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine, NATO Allies agreed on boosting their defense posture. NATO is shifting its focus from out-of-area peacekeeping missions to a new era of collective defense of the Euro-Atlantic area. Today, we have more troops on high readiness, and we invest considerably in high-end military capabilities.
NATO doubled the number of combat-ready multinational battlegroups on the eastern flank from four to eight, from the Baltic to the Black Sea. Since 2017, the Luxembourg Armed Forces participate in the Forward Land Forces in Lithuania, under German lead. Since 2023, we are also present in Romania, as part of a Belgian company, under French command. We are therefore involved in two of the eight combat formations, which clearly demonstrate our solidarity.
The implementation of the Belgian-Luxembourg combat reconnaissance battalion, equipped with heavier combat-capable vehicles, leads to a profound adaptation of our Armed Forces on all levels. This process is already well underway.
Sufficient military and civilian personnel are the key to success. Being a soldier, the willingness to stand up for the defense of the country and of the Alliance, is a very noble commitment. After all, freedom is the foundation of our social coexistence. This foundation is at stake. It must be defended. That’s why I encourage anyone who wants to take on responsibility to think about a career in Defense. We have prospects for every level of education, age and background.
Please give your current assessment of the status of equality of treatment and opportunity of men and women, younger workers and older workers, domestic and immigrant/expat workers and their families here in Luxembourg?
As Minister for Gender Equality and Diversity I can only refer to the career opportunities pertaining to women and men and potential differences. Luxembourg prides itself with a progressive parental leave format, including paternal leave, which encourages both parents to opt for childcare and the pursuit of their career, not forcing them to choose between either. The results speak for themselves: the number of fathers taking parental leave has increased in recent years, now even surpassing that of mothers.
When we look at the gender pay gap in Luxembourg, women earn slightly more than their male counterparts when it comes to hourly rates. Compared to international trends, this is rather astonishing and a positive development. However, Luxembourg doesn’t fare well regarding the pension gender gap, where progress must be made over the coming years and decades, ensuring women are not left behind economically at any stage of their life.
My Ministry is furthermore actively advising businesses on how to improve the gender equality perspective within their workplace and work culture through the Actions Positives program, which has been signed by a great number of companies in Luxembourg, including most recently Post and Cargolux. The Actions Positives concern among other factors equal treatment, equal decision-making, and the reconciliation between private and professional life. We strongly encourage all those who are not yet part of this program to join and demonstrate their commitment to gender equality.
I believe that the Grand Duchy is a progressive and open country with great professional opportunities for all. It is an interesting destination for expats who want to strike the right balance between an ambitious career path and a fulfilling personal life.
Why is Luxembourg reducing the level of subsidy for electric car purchases?
In June 2024, the Government Council approved guidelines for the continuation and partial reform of the Klimabonus Mobilitéit financial aid scheme, aimed at further promoting the decarbonization of the vehicle fleet registered in Luxembourg.
The existing aid scheme has been extended until the end of September 2024. Beginning 1st October 2024 and until June 2026, financial aid for new battery electric and fuel-cell electric cars will be reduced to a maximum of €6,000, depending on energy consumption. This reduction from the prior subsidy level of €8,000 remains substantial and is better aligned with the current price of most EVs. It is also a response to the significant increase in battery vehicle registrations, which now account for over a quarter of new registrations, making the higher subsidy unnecessary and financially unsustainable.
Additionally, starting in October, owners of battery electric vehicles will be required to keep cars for a minimum of three years, an increase from the previous requirement of 12 months. Moreover, a new purchase subsidy of €1,500 will be introduced for second-hand battery electric cars older than three years. These adjustments are designed to ensure that electric vehicles remain registered in Luxembourg for longer periods and to support the growth of a second-hand market for electric vehicles.
What is your assessment of the status of air transport for (a) vacation travel and (b) business travel? Are there additional changes which will impact either individual or business consumers?
In terms of vacation travel, passenger numbers have increased since the end of the pandemic. There has been a surge in demand for leisure travel, which bodes well for the economy. The year 2023 recorded a total of 4.79 million passengers, representing an increase of 8.9% compared with the reference year 2019, before the pandemic. Regarding cargo, Luxembourg airport is one of the major players in Europe, always in the top ten list of Europeans Cargo Airports. In 2023 a total volume of 799,000 tons of cargo was handled at Luxembourg Airport. These are great developments.
I want to underline that it is a top priority for me to further improve the airport infrastructures in Luxembourg to make them fit for the future.
Sustainability is a priority for me. That is why I welcome the advances we are seeing in the production of sustainable aviation fuel based on renewable energy sources. As part of its strong commitment to support the goals of a climate-neutral aviation sector, Lux-Airport has already invested in e-Fuel production.
For short distances there are also other more sustainable alternatives, such as the train. I am strongly committed to making traveling by train even more attractive in Europe.
Mobility is always a matter of attractiveness, and this even more so for a small and open country like Luxembourg. Efficient transportation is crucial for businesses and individuals that want to operate in and from Luxembourg. That is why ensuring strong connectivity is a top priority. Believe me that we are working hard on further strengthening our connectivity.
Transportation, by air, rail, tram, bus, taxi and private transport all constitute separate ecosystems of engagement. How does the Ministry of Mobility and Public Works integrate all these activities to achieve synergies and optimize services to the consumers?
As Minister of Mobility and Public Works, I am dedicated to tackling a major challenge facing our country: the projected 40% rise in transportation demands by the year 2035. This increase affects not only the daily lives of our residents and commuters, but also needs to be addressed in a smart way, as sustainable and efficient mobility is a key factor for the attractiveness of our country in the greater region. One important goal is to greatly decrease the carbon emissions produced by our transportation sector. To achieve this, we aim to boost electric vehicle adoption and improve the environmental friendliness of public transportation systems. Moreover, we plan to use digital technology to improve travel efficiency and make our transportation system more adaptable and responsive to the public’s demands. We are also focused on improving the connections between small towns and large cities, with the goal of creating a sustainable and convenient transportation system in the future.
These priorities will be closely aligned with the major development projects taking place throughout the country. As we plan for Luxembourg’s growth and transformation, we must adapt our infrastructure to meet the future demands in many other areas as well, including developing schools and enhancing resources for law enforcement for example. These are a few of the challenges that we work on every day in the interest of country.
