Thirteen Years

After 13 years as Director General of the Luxembourg Red Cross, Michel Simonis will step down from the role on 1 August, although he will remain involved in blood donation services and construction projects. Speaking to RTL, Simonis outlined plans for the organisation's new headquarters in Howald, discussed changes to blood donation rules, and warned that Luxembourg still lacks sufficient long-term accommodation for homeless people and vulnerable young people.[1]

The Luxembourg Red Cross expects to receive the keys to its new Maison de la Croix-Rouge by the end of the year. Services will then move into the building gradually over the course of 2027. The new site will accommodate administrative departments including finance, human resources, and communications, as well as advisory services for children, young people, and people seeking social support. The organisation's international services and blood donation centre will also move there. The location was selected partly because of its proximity to the tram and its accessibility by public transport, particularly for people using Red Cross services. The organisation had originally expected around 450 people to work at the site, but that figure has now risen to more than 600 following internal reorganisation.[1]

Much of the project was financed through an exchange involving land owned by the Red Cross at Geesseknapchen. The organisation had purchased the site in the 1920s with the original intention of building a maternity hospital there. The current headquarters near Glacis will remain the Red Cross's official seat. Simonis ruled out turning the historic building into a museum, saying it should continue to serve a social purpose, potentially by offering services for older people or others in need.[1]

Luxembourg now has more than 15,000 active blood donors, compared with around 12,000 in the past. Simonis explained that hospitals generally require less blood than before because operations have become less invasive and blood products are used more carefully. However, maintaining a reliable supply remains essential because many products have a limited shelf life. More donors are also needed because people are increasingly affected by temporary exclusion criteria, including travel, medication, and certain sexual behaviour.[1]

Commenting on proposed changes that would allow men who have sex with men to donate under the same rules as other donors, Simonis stressed that assessments should focus on individual behaviour rather than sexual orientation. "We look at people's behaviour, not their sexual orientation", he said, referring to factors such as changing partners, having multiple partners, travel, and medication. He did not expect the change to lead to a significant increase in available blood products, but said it was important to resolve the question of legal liability. Unlike neighbouring countries, where the state assumes responsibility for unforeseen harm linked to blood transfusions, the Luxembourg Red Cross currently bears that responsibility.[1]

13 years. 1 August. He is stepping down. He is staying for blood donation and construction. The new headquarters is in Howald. 600 staff. The old headquarters is at Glacis. The old headquarters will stay. It will not be a museum. It will serve a social purpose. The land at Geesseknapchen was bought in the 1920s. The land was for a maternity hospital. The hospital was never built. The land paid for the new building. 15,000 blood donors. 12,000 before. The hospitals need less blood. The operations are less invasive. The shelf life is limited. The donors are excluded for travel, medication, sexual behaviour. The rules are changing. The behaviour matters, not the orientation. The state does not assume liability. The Red Cross assumes liability. The Red Cross wants the state to assume liability. The neighbouring countries do. Luxembourg does not. The homeless people need long-term accommodation. The vulnerable young people need long-term accommodation. Luxembourg does not have enough. 13 years. He is stepping down. The priorities are the same.[1]