David Wagner (politician)

David Wagner (born 3 March 1979) is a Luxembourgish politician and journalist. A member of The Left (déi Lénk), he served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies for the Centre constituency from 2015 to 2021, and again since 2023.^[1]

Wagner was born on 3 March 1979 in Luxembourg City to a Luxembourgish father and a French mother from Marseille. He grew up in Mühlenbach and only spoke French at home, learning Luxembourgish in kindergarten.^[2]

After attending the Lycée de Garçons in Luxembourg City,^[3] Wagner studied at the Centre Universitaire de Luxembourg, graduating with a degree in History in 2001,^[4] before working as a parliamentary assistant to déi Lénk Deputy Serge Urbany from 2002 to 2004.^[5] Wagner then worked as a journalist for the weekly newspaper Woxx starting in 2005, resigning in 2013 to return to his position as parliamentary assistant.^[5][2]

After resigning from the Chamber of Deputies in 2021, Wagner resumed his studies at the University of Luxembourg, obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Medieval Studies in 2023.^[4]

Wagner became a political activist in the mid-1990s, participating in large student strikes and joining the LSAP in 1996.^[3][5] Having become General Secretary of its youth wing, he left the party in November 1998, judging it to have become too liberal.^[3][6] On 30 January 1999, alongside representatives from a number of political factions to the LSAP's left, he was a founding member of déi Lénk, shortly before graduating high school.^[7] Wagner also served as president of the national student union UNEL from 2000 to 2002.^[6][3] Around this time, he campaigned for the French Revolutionary Communist League, citing Alain Krivine and Daniel Bensaïd as political influences.^[2]

Wagner first held elected office as a member of the Luxembourg Communal Council after the 2011 communal elections.^[5] Elected alongside Justin Turpel in a surge in support for déi Lénk, he promised the party would be "the social voice" on the council.^[8][9]

During his first term as a councillor, Wagner notably voiced opposition to the Royal-Hamilius building complex that was due to replace the city centre's bus terminal, criticizing it as a "high-end project" that, lacking in new living space, would fail to "guarantee social diversity".^[10] He resigned on 26 January 2015 in accordance with déi Lénk's rotation principle, and was replaced by trade unionist Jöel Delvaux, who became the first disabled communal councillor in Luxembourg.^[11]

In the 2023 communal elections, Wagner came a close second behind then-MP Nathalie Oberweis on déi Lénk's list, but as the party only won one seat, he was not directly elected.^[12] Oberweis resigned from the council in September 2024, with Wagner replacing her and becoming a councillor for the third time.^[13]

Wagner stood on déi Lénk's electoral list for the Centre constituency in the 2004 and 2009 general elections, failing to be elected each time.^[14][15] In the 2013 snap election, the party won a seat in the Centre for the first time, but as Wagner only came second on the list behind fellow Luxembourg communal councillor Justin Turpel, he was not directly elected. On 28 April 2015, Wagner took over Turpel's seat after the latter resigned on health grounds, thus becoming a member of the Chamber of Deputies for the first time.^[3]

Wagner left the Chamber of Deputies in May 2021, following the rotation principle of The Left;^[16][17] he was succeeded by Nathalie Oberweis.^[18]

In the 2023 general election, The Left managed to retain its 2 seats in the Chamber of Deputies.^[19] Wagner re-entered the Chamber alongside Marc Baum.^[20]