What will change on May 1st in Luxembourg, France, Belgium and Germany?

In Luxembourg

INDEX: From May 1st, the next index tranche will be triggered – the Statec finally confirmed the long -awaited message on Tuesday morning. As a reminder: the wages and pensions are linked to inflation in Luxembourg. Inflation was 1.7 percent in April, which means that the threshold has been exceeded for the next increase. Wages and pensions rise by 2.5 percent.

Petrol stations: Aral and Shell say ade and become Q8! On Thursday, the European branch of the Kuwaiti oil company took over the operation of the petrol stations at the Berchem Rest site on the A3 motorway. Q8 replaces Aral in the direction of Luxembourg – France and Shell towards France – Luxemburg. There are also some changes in the shops at the rest area. The new concessions run for over four years.

A bath in the lake: The almost summer temperatures in early May could tempt water rats to venture into the water to cool off. This is possible on the various beaches of the Lakes of Weiswampach, Obersauer, Echternach or on the ponds of Remerschen. The bathing season officially begins on May 1st. If you want to splash around, you should in advance The water quality and the Check water temperature!

Switched off: The end of Skype is close! The computer telecommunications application, with which you can make language and video calls, will be discontinued worldwide on May 5th. Skype was introduced in Luxembourg in 2003. The Skype Technologies company was entered in the Luxembourg commercial register on November 3, 2003. The company was located in a building in Rue Adolphe fisherman in the station district.

Skype was taken over by the US giant Microsoft in 2011, but has been overtaken by tools such as zoom or teams in recent years. Its user numbers fell from 300 million in 2016 to 36 million in 2023 – hence the decision to set the application.

TRADITION: The octave market, also known as the « meave », moves and returns to its origins on the Knuedler from May 9th to 25th. Due to construction work on Place Guillaume II, the « Mäertchen » was divided between the Knuedler and the Place de la Constitution at the foot of the Gëlle FR from 2014 to 2019. The 2020 edition was canceled due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Since 2021, the meave took place on the Place de la Constitution. As a reminder: the octave is a religious holiday in honor of the Virgin Mary.

In France

Commuter traffic: The P+R in Thionville opens its doors on Thursday, May 1st. The parking garage Joseph Bech, named after the former Luxembourg Prime Minister, is located near the SNCF station in Thionville. With a capacity of just more than 600 seats, it is primarily intended for cross -border commuters who continue to Luxembourg by train. Ter subscribers can use such a place for 65 euros per month. Half of the construction of parking was financed by the Luxembourg State.

ENERGY: The gas price in France will drop by 6.4 percent from May 1st. The price per kilowatt hour (kWh) drops from 0.12412 euros to 0.1162 euros. That is just under 100 euros less per year for standard consumption of 11,200 kWh (house with 120 m² living space).

Electric car: In order to move the French to buy an electric car, the state had decided to delete the fees for the vehicle registration certificate when approved. This tax gift ends on May 1st. From then on, the same taxes are due for electric vehicles as for cars with an internal combustion engine. The amount of these taxes varies depending on the region.

Social benefits: On April 1, 2025, it was announcedthat a number of state allowances and aid will increase by 1.7 percent. For the recipients, however, this will only occur with the payments provided for Monday, May 5th. This applies in particular to the « active solidarity income » (RSA) or the aid for disabled adults (AAH).

In Belgium

Wallonia: New, relieved urban planning rules come into force in the Wallonia region. No urban planning permit is required for a number of construction work. This applies, for example, to « the installation of shutters, fences or railings that are not visible from the public sector, » says « Le Soir », of which all measures in a separate article explained.

BRUSSELS: In the Brussels region, rents are capped to prevent abuse by landlords. « In addition to exceptional cases, the landlords may not exceed the amounts of the rental price table set by the region by more than 20 percent, » writes Le soir further. This guideline is checked every year.

Also in Brussels and the region, owners who have installed photovoltaic systems or electrical charging stations, but did not register them, from May 1, 30 days to catch up

National Lottery: The Belgian Lotto will change its rules from this May 1st. At the draw on the last Saturday of the month you can « win a house ». In this case it is a profit of 750,000 euros. The amount is paid to a notary determined by the winner for a real estate purchase or renovation project. However, the price of a lottery ticket rises from 1.25 euros to 1.50 euros.

In Germany

Civil status right: The reform of family name law, the 2024 adopted by the Bundestag was in force on May 1st. One of the innovations is that married couples can now line up the surnames of both spouses and that children change the name of children in the event of a divorce.

Pass picture: When applying for a passport or identity card, the traditional high -gloss portrait is no longer required, which was taken in a studio by a photographer. Instead, this can also make a digital photo that can only be opened and read by the authorities that issue the ID cards.

Chancellor: Friedrich MerzChairman of the CDU/CSU, which won the early Bundestag elections on February 23, will officially be elected Chancellor on Tuesday, May 6th. He will succeed Olaf Scholz (SPD) and lead a coalition government from the CDU/CSU and SPD.

GARBAGE: In order to create incentives for a better separation of organic waste such as leftovers, the rule is tightened to collection. A ton with organic waste, which contains more than 3 percent pollutants such as plastic, is not accepted on the pick -up tour. A fine is also possible.

This article first appeared at Virgule. Translation and editing: Marvin pushing.