Luxembourgish politician (born 1965)
Martine Hansen (born 10 December 1965) is a Luxembourgish agricultural economist and politician of the Christian Social People's Party who serves as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Viticulture and Minister for Consumer Protection in the Frieden-Bettel Government. She was a member of the Chamber of Deputies (2013–2023) and served as Minister for Higher Education and Research from April to December 2013 in the Juncker–Asselborn II Government.
Early life.
Hansen was born on 10 December 1965 in Wiltz and grew up as the daughter of a farmer in Tarchamps. She completed her secondary school studies at the Lycée classique de Diekirch and studied Agricultural Sciences at the University of Hohenheim. She specialized in Agricultural Economics and Social sciences. From 1993 to 2006, Hansen worked as a high school at the Lycée technique agricole. After a two-year correspondence course in school management at the Technical University of Kaiserslautern, Hansen got another master's degree. In 2006, she became the first female headmaster of the Lycée technique agricole, a position she held until she became Minister of Higher Education in April 2013. As headmaster, she was known for submitting whole classes of high-school students to drug tests without the knowledge of their parents.
Political career.
Minister for Higher Education and Research.
On 30 April 2013, Hansen was sworn in as Minister for Higher Education and Research in the Juncker–Asselborn II Government. As both Marie-Josée Jacobs and François Biltgen resigned, the latter to become judge at the European Court of Justice, two new ministers were needed. As this government reshuffle happened roughly a year before the anticipated election date (2014), the choice of Hansen was seen as electorally motivated, as she was "tailored" to the electoral district of her predecessor (in an electoral sense) Jacobs. Hansen did not inherit Biltgen's whole portfolio, since it was split between many members of the government.
Hansen's time as minister was short, as the government resigned on 11 July 2013 and snap elections were called for October 2013. She oversaw the reform of the State financial aid for higher education studies. The previous model had been declared illegal by the European Court of Justice, as it discriminated against the children of residents of neighboring countries working in Luxembourg. Her law was criticized as also being discriminating, as it would only grant financial aid for children of people that worked at least five years without interruption in Luxembourg. One issue she could not finish during her term was the procurement of technical equipment for the University of Luxembourg at its new buildings in Esch-Belval.
Chamber of Deputies.
In the 2013 Luxembourg general election, Hansen was elected to the Chamber of Deputies. With 16 838 votes, she came in second place on the CSV list in the northern voting district and had the third most votes in that district. As her party was not part of the Bettel I Government government, she became an opposition parliamentarian. Hansen was member of the parliamentary committees on petitions, agriculture, viticulture, rural development and consumer protection; national education, children and youth; higher education, research, media, communications and space; environment; family and integration; health, equal opportunities and sports, covering only sports on the later. These committees mostly covered her former ministerial portfolio as well as her expertise in agricultural sciences. Hansen was characterized as voicing the issues and interests of farmers, often taking the same position as their representative organizations.
She was elected new district chairwoman of "CSV Norden", the regional organization for the northern voting district on 23 January 2014, a position she held until 6 December 2018, when she gave up the position and her cousin Christophe Hansen replaced her. At the CSV congress on 8 February 2014, Hansen was elected vice-president of her party, a position she held together with Françoise Hetto-Gaasch. She held this position until 26 January 2019.
During the 2018 electoral campaign, Hansen was the lead candidate for her party in the northern voting district. With 20 249 votes, Hansen was the candidate with the most votes in her district in the 2018 Luxembourg general election. The CSV lost two seats in the election and wasn't part of any coalition negotiations, since the three government parties immediately started forming the Bettel II Government. Shortly after the elections, national lead candidate Claude Wiseler stated that he would be available as leader of the CSV parliamentary group. On 5 December 2018, Hansen was elected in this position and became de de facto leader of the opposition.
During her second term as parliamentarian, she mostly continued to work on the same issues. As leader of the opposition, she became chairwoman of the parliamentary control committee of the State Intelligence Service, and member of the "Conférence des Présidents" and the "Bureau", the two bodies responsible for the organization of Parliament. She was vice-chairwoman of the committees on agriculture, viticulture and rural development; and national education, children, youth, higher education and research. Hansen was a member of committees on rules; finance and budget; environment, climate, energy and spatial planning; health and sports (only covering sports).
As leader of the CSV parliamentary group, Hansen was a key figure during the conflict with the CSV president Frank Engel in 2021, who resigned after member of the parliamentary group denounced him due to suspicion of misappropriation of party assets and sham employment. This was also seen as a political victory from the parliamentary group, with Hansen as its leader, over Engel. This resulted in restructuring of the party leadership, which lead to the parliamentary group leadership split between Hansen and Gilles Roth, starting on 8 April 2021. She was characterized as "terrier", as she criticized the Bettel II Government often and sharply, mostly about agricultural politics, child care, health politics and in her view overbearing environmental protection.
For the 2023 electoral campaign for the general elections, the CSV opted for two lead candidates in every voting district, a position Hansen held together with her cousin Christophe Hansen. She was again the candidate with the most votes in the northern voting district, counting 20 160 votes.
Minister for Minister of Agriculture, Food and Viticulture and Minister for Consumer Protection.
Since 17 November 2023, Hansen is Minister of Agriculture, Food and Viticulture and Minister for Consumer Protection in the Frieden-Bettel Government. As minister, Hansen has the sole responsibility over policy governing the food-chain. The government appointed "Climate Policy Observatory" criticized the lack of ambition to lower greenhouse gas emissions from this sector. During her first meeting with the Chamber of Agriculture, she announced the institutionalization of the ""Landwirtschaftsdësch" (agricultural round table), a meeting of government and representatives of the sector, taking place two times a year. When Hansen presented the focal points of her policy and coalition program, she stressed that the goals of the previous government on organic farming had not been realistic. She stated she wanted to set new targets, together with the agricultural sector and expressed doubt on organic farming targets where the only measure is agricultural surface. She said she wanted to increase support for agricultural business that are partially converting to organic farming.
During the 2024 protest wave of European farmers, Luxembourg only saw a small protest, which was only joined by members of the "Lëtzebuerger Landjugend a Jongbaueren" (rural youth and young farmers). An emergency meeting between agricultural representatives and Hansen, environmental minister Serge Wilmes and prime minister Luc Frieden was arranged. In an open letter, two agricultural organizations called protests absurd, since the government was listening to them. However, it was noted that organizations representing organic farmers were not invited to this meeting.
For the overshoot day 2024, which was on 20 February for Luxembourg, Hansen's Consumer Protection ministry reminded the public to be conscious about over-consumption, buy regional and seasonal food and use public transport, as message that was criticized for overexaggerating the contribution of individual consumers to climate change.
Hansen, together with environmental minister Serge Wilmes, invited to the first meeting of the "Landwirtschaftsdësch"" on 5 March 2024. Topics discussed were the simplification of administrative procedures and a renewal of environmental and water protection laws, in order to make it easier for agricultural actors to build in green areas.Hansen also announced a new agricultural strategy would be written, with a more proactive consulting of agricultural professional. Agricultural representatives stated they were content with the meeting, but it was noted that organizations representing organic farmers or environmental groups have not been invited.
Personal life.
Hansen lives in Heischtergronn in the commune of Heiderscheid and has a daughter. One of her hobbies is long-distance running. She holds shares in Fresenius.
References.
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