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Yuriko Backes

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Yuriko Backes
Backes in 2023
Minister for Defence
Incumbent
Assumed office
17 November 2023
Prime MinisterLuc Frieden
Preceded byFrançois Bausch
Minister for Mobility and Public Transport
Incumbent
Assumed office
17 November 2023
Prime MinisterLuc Frieden
Preceded byFrançois Bausch
Minister for Gender Equality and Diversity
Incumbent
Assumed office
17 November 2023
Prime MinisterLuc Frieden
Preceded byTaina Bofferding
Minister for Finances
In office
5 January 2022 – 17 November 2023
Prime MinisterXavier Bettel
Preceded byPierre Gramegna
Succeeded byGilles Roth
Marshal of the Court
In office
1 June 2020 – 5 January 2022
Preceded byLucien Weiler
Succeeded byPaul Dühr[1]
Personal details
Born (1970-12-22) 22 December 1970 (age 54)
Kobe, Japan
NationalityLuxembourger
Political party
Other political
affiliations		Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party
Children2
Alma mater

Yuriko Nadia Backes (born 22 December 1970) is a Luxembourgish diplomat and politician who serves as Minister for Defence and Minister for Mobility and Public Transport since 2023.[2] She served as Minister for Finances from 2022 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she has led the nation's financial sector through the economic crisis caused by the inflation surge and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Prior to her appointment as minister, she held several key diplomatic positions, and was the diplomatic advisor to prime ministers Jean-Claude Juncker and Xavier Bettel.

Early life and education

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Yuriko Nadia Backes was born on 22 December 1970 in Kobe, Japan. Her parents were Luxembourgish expatriates who lived in Japan. After briefly living in Germany, the family returned to Japan, residing in the Tokyo area for eleven years. Backes attended the Canadian Academy International School in Kobe, graduating in 1989 with an International Baccalaureate diploma. She continued her studies in London, graduating from the London School of Economics with a bachelor's degree in international relations in 1992 and from the School of Oriental and African Studies with a master's degree in Japanese studies in 1993. The following year, she received a master's degree in European political and administrative studies from the College of Europe in Bruges.[3][4]

Diplomatic career

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Backes began her diplomatic career within the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1994, when she passed her diplomatic examinations and was appointed a member of the permanent representation of Luxembourg to the United Nations, serving for three years. In 2001, she was named deputy director of the Directorate of European Affairs and International Economic Relations in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2001 until 2006, Backes was a member of the permanent representation of Luxembourg to the European Union, and from 2006 until 2008, she was the deputy head of mission of the Embassy of Luxembourg in Japan.[3][4]

From 2008 to 2010, Backes was deputy head of the Directorate for International Economic Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[3] From 2010 until June 2016, she was the diplomatic adviser for prime ministers Jean-Claude Juncker and Xavier Bettel. From 2016 until 2020, she was the representative of the European Commission to Luxembourg, becoming the first woman to hold the office.[3][4]

On 1 June 2020, Backes was appointed Luxembourg's first female Hofmarschall (French: Maréchale de la Cour, English: Marshal of the Court), the highest administrative position in the household of Grand Duke Henri.[4][5] In this role, she oversaw and organized the day-to-day activities of the Grand Duke.[6]

Political career

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Finance minister

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Backes with Josep Borrell in 2024.

On 3 December 2021, the ruling coalition government announced that Backes would become the new Minister for Finances, succeeding Pierre Gramegna and becoming the first woman to hold the office.[7][8] Previously unaffiliated with any political party, she declared her intent to join the Democratic Party and run as one of its candidates for the Chamber of Deputies in the 2023 elections.[4][6] Backes is also affiliated with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party.[9] She was sworn in by Grand Duke Henri on 5 January 2022.[4]

Though initially intending her tenure to operate ad interim with a "simple" economic framework, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began the month after she took office, exasperated Luxembourg's ongoing inflation crisis.[10] A proponent of European solidarity against Russia, Backes is an outspoken supporter of Ukraine. At the April 2022 IMF/World Bank summit in Washington, D.C., she "underlined Luxembourg's commitment to multilateralism and international solidarity" and "reaffirmed Luxembourg's pledge to allocate 1% of its GNI to development aid". She also reiterated Luxembourg's support for Ukraine during a meeting with Ukrainian finance minister Serhiy Marchenko.[11]

Backes is also a proponent of closer relations between Luxembourg and Asia. In April 2022, she met with several Japanese CEOs regarding economic cooperation between the two nations.[12] In May 2023, she travelled to China, where she held meetings with finance minister Liu Kun, China Securities Regulatory Commission chairman Yi Huiman, and several Chinese bank officials. Among the topics of discussion were capital market cooperation, green finance, and Luxembourg's desire to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties with China.[13][14]

In 2023, Backes declared that Luxembourg was in the midst of an economic crisis primarily caused by inflation. Though she opposed a decrease in the tax rate, she instead backing a proposal which would distribute targeted tax credits totaling €500 million as a response to the crisis.[15][16] She also oversaw a 1% reduction in the value-added tax as part of an inflation-reduction measure,[17] as well as the implementation of international taxation on multinational corporations based in Luxembourg, which affected around 7,500 firms.[10][18] In December 2022, her proposed budget, which "avoided austerity" while keeping investment and solidarity spending high, passed through the legislature and allowed Luxembourg to retain its AAA credit rating from Fitch Ratings.[10][19]

In late 2022, Backes highlighted the importance of the fight against money laundering in Luxembourg, stating that failing an audit from the Financial Action Task Force would "permanently compromise Luxembourg's reputation as a financial centre".[20] She is also a supporter of the digital transformation and the Digital Services Act.[21]

2023 General Election

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On 13 July 2023, Backes was presented as part of the leading candidates double for her voting constituency (Centre), together with national leading candidate Xavier Bettel for the general election. She was elected to the Chamber of Deputies with 23 589 votes, the second most votes of all DP candidates on a national level. After Luc Frieden was appointed government formateur by Grand Duke Henri on 10 October,[22] CSV and DP conducted coalition negotiations, with Backes as a member of the DP delegation.[23]

On 17 November 2023, Backes was sworn in with the rest of the Frieden-Bettel-government. She has three new portfolios: Mobility and Public Works; Defense; and Gender Equality and Diversity. The accumulation and combination of portfolios was described by commentators as unexpected. Backes is the only minister in the Frieden-Bettel government to manage three portfolios.[24][25][26][27]

Personal life

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Backes has two children. She is fluent in Luxembourgish, German, French, and English, and is conversational in Japanese.[4]

References

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  1. ^ Malekar, Reuben (2023-08-13). "Paul Dühr sworn in as new head of Grand Ducal household". Luxembourg Times. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
  2. ^ "Liberal ministers take office in Luxembourg". ALDE Party. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
  3. ^ a b c d "Yuriko Backes". Government of Luxembourg. January 5, 2022. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Boob, Aurélie (January 4, 2022). "Yuriko Backes: Luxembourg's first female finance minister". delano.lu. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  5. ^ "Backes for the Grand Ducal Court". Diplomat Magazine. 2020-04-30. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  6. ^ a b Dalesio, Emery P. (2023-07-14). "Luxembourg's New Finance Minister Officially Takes the Reins". Luxembourg Times. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  7. ^ "Yuriko Backes becomes Luxembourg's first ever female Minister of Finance". Democratic Party. 2021-12-03. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  8. ^ "Luxembourg Names First Ever Female Finance Minister". Luxembourg Times. 2021-12-03. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  9. ^ "Yuriko Backes". ALDE Party. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  10. ^ a b c Fassone, Marc (February 1, 2023). "Yuriko Backes wants to regain the upper hand post-crisis". delano.lu. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  11. ^ "Finance Minister Yuriko Backes attended the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington DC". Embassy of Luxembourg, Washington, D.C. 2022-04-26. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  12. ^ "Meeting of Ambassador Jiro Okuyama With Finance Minister Yuriko Backes and CEOs of Japanese Companies in Luxembourg". Embassy of Japan in Luxembourg. April 11, 2022. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  13. ^ "Yuriko Backes Addresses Asset Management, Sustainable Finance in China". The Luxembourg Chronicle. May 27, 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  14. ^ "Chairman Yi Huiman Met with Ms. Yuriko BACKES, Minister of Finance of Luxembourg". China Securities Regulatory Commission. May 25, 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  15. ^ Aulner, François (February 20, 2023). "Adjusting the tax table to inflation 'not responsible': Yuriko Backes". RTL Today. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  16. ^ "Yuriko Backes proposes tax reliefs worth €500 million". RTL Today. January 30, 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  17. ^ Wiessler, Sophie (June 28, 2023). "La baisse de la TVA a-t-elle vraiment soulagé votre portefeuille ?" [Has the Reduction in the VAT Really Relieved Your Wallet?]. Le Quotidien (in French). Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  18. ^ Boob, Aurélie (January 12, 2022). "Yuriko Backes Calls for Balanced International Taxation". delano.lu. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  19. ^ Heindrichs, Tracy (January 16, 2023). "Fitch maintains AAA rating for Luxembourg". delano.lu. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  20. ^ Klein, Thomas (2022-11-20). "Les mesures contre le blanchiment d'argent sous la loupe" [Measures Against Money Laundering Under the Magnifying Glass]. Virgule [fr] (in French). Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  21. ^ Brumat, Michel (May 10, 2022). "Minister of Finance Yuriko Backes cautiously optimistic for Europe". University of Luxembourg. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  22. ^ "The formation of the 2023 government". gouvernement.lu. 2023-11-15. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  23. ^ "Koalitionsverhandlungen / Arbeitsgruppen sollen bis Ende kommender Woche Vorarbeit fertigstellen" (in German). Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  24. ^ "Assermentation des membres du gouvernement 2023". gouvernement.lu (in French). 2023-11-17. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  25. ^ Grasser, Fabien (2023-11-16). "Nouveau gouvernement : et les gagnants sont…". woxx (in French). Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  26. ^ "CSV-DP-Koalition / Luxemburgs neue Regierung: So sieht das Team Frieden-Bettel aus" (in German). Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  27. ^ Feist, Peter (2023-11-17). "Männer machen Politik". Lëtzebuerger Land (in German). Retrieved 2024-04-30.
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