As the "political guest" on Bel RTL on 8 September 2015, the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, set out the "mediating role" which Luxembourg, in its Presidency of the Council of the European Union, wishes to play in the EU which is faced with a huge influx of refugees, "people who are leaving everything behind in order to survive, and who are risking their lives to do so", as the Prime Minister pointed out.
"Luxembourg is coordinating" the response to the situation; Luxembourg is seeking to "bring people together around the table" explained the Prime Minister, also mentioning the visits by the Luxembourg Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, to France on 8 September and to Serbia on 9 September.
"I have discussions two or three times a day with Heads of State and Government", explained Xavier Bettel. He also referred to a "technical" meeting between those in charge of immigration organised on the same day, in particular with a view to "finding a solution to the humanitarian crisis in Hungary, Austria and Germany". The Prime Minister made reference to the same "technical" meeting earlier in the morning on the Luxembourg sociocultural radio station 100.7 fm. Xavier Bettel revealed in the interview that he had spoken with Angela Merkel, Werner Faymann and Viktor Orban in advance and wanted to "prepare proposals with the European Commission which would allow several potential solutions to be presented at the next JHA".
"We are working on mandatory quotas" and "there are several options" to be proposed at the JHA Council due to be held by the Luxembourg Presidency on 14 September 2015, but Xavier Bettel expressed hope that "the solution will not involve European aid being made subject to certain conditions". The idea is also to work together to draw up procedures, deadlines for obtaining refugee status, as well as a list of safe countries, he added. For Xavier Bettel, it is important to have African countries around the table, to work with other continents in order to ensure a fair distribution of refugees and for Europe to arm itself with a "permanent mechanism".