Business Beyond Borders E17: Paul Galles, Member of Parliament & Alderman for Lux City

In Conversation with Paul Galles | From Church to City Hall: A Journey of Service

In this thought-provoking episode, we sit down with Paul Galles, member of the Luxembourg Parliament, passionate advocate for social causes, and recipient of the prestigious European Citizen’s Prize, for an insightful conversation that bridges faith, politics, and public service. We recorded this conversation at the iconic City Hall, where Paul reflected on his transition from the Church to public office, and how his values continue to shape his political vision. We dive into his long-standing commitment to Caritas and youth development, before exploring the initiatives that earned him national recognition for supporting refugees in Luxembourg. Paul offers candid reflections on where Luxembourg has succeeded, and where it has fallen short. He talks about the integration of refugees, and outlines his primary goals for the next four years. From climate action and energy security to social cohesion and economic equity, he talks through not just his ambitions, but also how he believes his success should be measured. We also discuss the often-overlooked strengths of Luxembourg’s approach to governance, Paul’s support for Belarusian communities in crisis, and the growing social tensions driven by rising costs and inequality. Finally, don’t miss our rapid-fire round and Paul's thoughtful advice for those considering a leap into public service.

Whether you're passionate about politics, social justice, or the future of Luxembourg, this episode promises a rich, personal, and inspiring conversation.Watch, share, and let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Business Beyond Borders is a video podcast series under The Luxembourg Mind umbrella aspiring to bring to the forefront the incredible thought leadership, vision, and success of Luxembourg's business decision makers. Over the next year, we are interviewing 12-15 Luxembourgish CEOs, business leaders and decision-makers to explore their human side, their vision for Lux's business eco-system, and to solicit some tips & tricks they learnt from their successes.

Chapters

00:00 The Introduction to Paul Galles, and the magnificent City Hall

1:20 Transitioning from the church to public service

04:15 Paul's involvement with Caritas and youth development

08:29 European Citizen's Prize for refugee support

10:44 Refugees in Luxembourg: What have we done well, and where could we have done better

12:46 Primary goals for the next 4 years

16:04 How will we measure success for these goals?

18:02 Need for an emergency plan addressing energy security and climate change

21:30 What are we doing well that we don't talk about as much?

26:10 Social tensions - rising costs & widening economic gap

29:52 His efforts to support Belarus

35:58 Rapid-fire round

41:13 Advice: How does one transition to public service?