The veneer of digitalisation is no longer enough to mask the structural flaws. The Ombudsman’s 2025 Annual Report, Claudine Konsbruck, presented on Wednesday 6 May to the Chamber of Deputies, lays bare a Luxembourg administration under strain, faced with a surge in complaints and growing mistrust among users. Against this backdrop, one reality stands out: the state is struggling to keep pace with its own demands.

The figures speak for themselves. In 2025, 1,541 complaints were lodged—a record high—and the number has been rising steadily for several years. Behind this rise, three main grievances stand out: unclear decisions, administrative delays and a lack of response. The authorities either fail to respond or do so too late. And when they do respond, their explanations are unconvincing.

The situation is particularly dire in the social sphere. The plight of refugees is described as “unacceptable”. Reception facilities are overwhelmed, there is a severe shortage of housing, and some centres are deemed “dilapidated, unsuitable and, in some cases, unfit for human habitation”. As a result, integration processes are stalling and tensions are mounting. The Ombudsman is calling for greater action by local authorities, and even for more stringent measures, such as quotas or compulsory accommodation.

Waiting times for family reunification have doubled

Compounding this housing crisis is a silent but far-reaching trend: the lengthening of administrative processing times. The case of family reunification is a prime example. Processing times have doubled in the space of a few months, rising from around 17 to 34 months. Meanwhile, applicants remain in limbo, often with no information whatsoever on the progress of their case. “The unacceptable nature of the situation” is explicitly highlighted.

These bottlenecks are not insignificant. They undermine the country’s appeal, slow down the settlement process and make it significantly more difficult for some members of the population to access the labour market. As waiting times grow longer and procedures become more complex, the gap between the economy’s needs and the administrative capacity to meet them is widening.

But the problem goes beyond just the most high-profile cases. It strikes at the very heart of how the administration operates. The Ombudsman describes a system that is still too rigid, reluctant to acknowledge its mistakes and make amends for them. The right to redress exists in theory, but in practice remains “cumbersome, lengthy, uncertain and costly”. This is absurd in a state that champions efficiency.

The administration is sometimes perceived as unfair

Even progress in administrative simplification is reaching its limits. Digitalisation, touted as a solution, sometimes becomes an obstacle. The requirement to use online platforms effectively excludes a section of the population. The risk of a digital divide has been clearly identified and is recognised as a persistent blind spot.

Against this backdrop, certain proposals are emerging as attempts to restore the balance. The introduction of a “right to make a mistake” is one of the most far-reaching ideas. The concept is simple: to allow citizens to correct an error made in good faith without being immediately penalised. This represents a major cultural shift in public administration still characterised by a mindset of control rather than trust.

For that is indeed the crux of the matter. Despite “considerable efforts”, the administration is still perceived as aloof, slow and sometimes unfair. The Ombudsman puts it bluntly: “Every user […] remains, above all, a rights holder.” A legal truism, but clearly not yet a reality in practice. The 2025 report does not merely take stock of the situation. It highlights a growing tension between a state that is modernising on the surface and a user experience that is, in fact, deteriorating. As procedures become more complex, citizens’ expectations rise. And the gap widens.