Tom Baumert (Luxembourg Confederation): a constructive voice for business

Can you present the Confederation in a few words?

Luxembourg Confederation is an employers' organisation founded in 1909. It brings together 26 sectoral federations active mainly in services, commerce, and transport. We represent around 1,800 companies and 120,000 jobs, which is a significant share of private employment in Luxembourg. Our mission is to federate, represent, and support the interests of our members in a spirit of political neutrality and independence. Luxembourg Confederation acts as a recognised partner in social dialogue. We coordinate employer positions, provide sectoral expertise to public decision-makers, and accompany our federations in their strategic and operational development. With more than 115 years of existence, the Confederation holds a central place in the Luxembourg economic ecosystem. We position ourselves as a durable and credible partner of the institutions, the administrations, and the other socio-economic actors of the country. This long-standing presence allows us to bring continuity and perspective to debates that often unfold under short-term pressure, and to defend the interests of business in a structured way.

Our role is that of a facilitator: helping our members anticipate change and making a constructive economic voice heard.

What influence can the Confederation claim over the past two years?

Rather than claiming isolated successes, the influence of Luxembourg Confederation stems from continuous, collective, and structured work. Over the past two years, this influence has rested on three complementary pillars. First, a structured sectoral expertise, built with our member federations and their companies, which allows us to feed decision-makers with arguments that are realistic and grounded in the realities on the ground. Second, a strengthened institutional dialogue, through regular exchanges with ministries, administrations, and political actors, within the recognised and transparent framework of social partnership. Third, a dedicated and transversal team, which coordinates files, ensures coherence of positions between sectors, and accompanies the federations in their work. This approach allows Luxembourg Confederation to contribute credibly to economic and social debates, without individually appropriating progress, but by participating in the construction of solutions with all stakeholders. We believe this collective method is what gives our voice its weight over time.

Which risks and opportunities do you identify for your members and for Luxembourg?

Among the main risks, I would mention growing regulatory pressure, high housing costs, tensions on the labour market, and a more uncertain economic environment, both at Luxembourg and European level. These factors can weigh on the competitiveness of companies, their investment capacity, and the attractiveness of Luxembourg in the long term. But these challenges also come with important opportunities. The digital transition, sustainability, the evolution of working patterns, and the strengthening of dialogue between economic actors and public authorities can become real levers of transformation for companies and for the country. In this context, Luxembourg Confederation sees its role as that of a facilitator. We help our members anticipate these changes, structure their positions, and make a constructive economic voice heard in service of Luxembourg's competitiveness. This is how we intend to remain useful to our members and to the country in the years ahead.