Georges Rassel Takes Helm at Fedil, Calls for More Europe to Boost Luxembourg Industry

Georges Rassel has been appointed as the new president of the Luxembourg industrial federation Fedil, succeeding Michèle Detaille who stepped down after five years in the role. Rassel aims to reset the collaboration between the industry and political leaders to address major challenges facing the Luxembourg economy.

In his first remarks as Fedil president, Rassel emphasized the importance of the Luxembourg industry, which accounts for 25% of GDP and provides 120,000 direct jobs. He has consulted Fedil's 715 members to develop a vision for a strong, decarbonized, and highly productive economy.

Rassel's top priority is Europe, where he believes the necessary political rebalancing can boost the European industry. He called for a pause in increasing regulatory burdens and wants more trust in businesses to seize technological opportunities and address geopolitical challenges. Rassel wants strategic industries to become profitable with EU support.

Why this matters: The Luxembourg industry faces significant challenges, including high energy prices, wage indexation, and the need for innovation and talent attraction. Fedil's new leadership aims to work with the government and European partners to create a more favorable environment for industrial growth and competitiveness.

Fedil welcomes the new government's growth agenda but anticipates concrete actions on issues like land availability, infrastructure, energy supply, and industrial financing. Innovation, AI implementation, and workforce challenges like wage costs and talent attraction are other key priorities for Fedil under Rassel's leadership.

The Fedil board has also seen other changes, with more women and younger members joining. Detaille, the outgoing president, believes Fedil should be recognized as an expert organization rather than a political one, and wants to help the government make the right decisions without taking its place. Her tenure was marked by challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, and she emphasizes the importance of effective representation of relevant parties.

Key Takeaways

• Georges Rassel appointed as new president of Luxembourg's Fedil industry federation.
• Rassel aims to reset industry-government collaboration to address economic challenges.
• Rassel's priorities: EU rebalancing, reducing regulatory burdens, supporting strategic industries.
• Fedil faces issues like energy prices, wage indexation, innovation, and talent attraction.
• Fedil board sees changes, with more women and younger members joining.