Amid worries that many of the applicants rushing to get Luxembourgish nationality are not doing so out of love, or even mild affection, for the country, but rather for personal and political reasons, officials will now require applicants to state that Luxembourg is “quite okay.”
“We are not asking you to say that you love Luxembourg, nor do you have to say you like Luxembourg,” said Josie Heinie, spokesperson for the office of naturalization. “You only have to raise your right hand and swear that you sincerely feel it’s quite okay here.”
Those unable or unwilling to raise their right hand and say the words, Heinie says, will instead be allowed to simply blink three of four times when asked if they think Luxembourg is quite okay.
“As long as the movement is done in a manner that expresses a neutrality tipped towards confirmation,” she said
If people feel uncomfortable declaring tepid-to-warm feelings about Luxembourg, officials say applicants may submit a signed affidavit promising that they try not to say too many bad things about the country, or if they do, that they suffer from mild guilt.