The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has long been a prominent supporter of European political and economic integration. In 1921,Luxembourg and Belgium formed the Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union (BLEU) to create an inter-exchangeable currency and a common customs regime. Post-war,Luxembourg became a founding member state of the United Nations,and dropped its policy of neutrality to become a founding member state of NATO. Luxembourg expanded its support for European integration,becoming a founding member state of the Benelux Economic Union,and one of the "inner six" founding member states of the three European Communities;the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC),the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom),and the European Economic Community (EEC). Subsequently,Luxembourg became a founding member state of the European Union (EU) when the EEC and ECSC were incorporated into it in 1993. Luxembourg is a founding member of the Schengen Area,abolishing internal borders amongst its member states,named after the Luxembourg village where the original agreement —since incorporated into EU law —was signed in 1985. At the same time,the majority of Luxembourgers have consistently believed that European unity makes sense only in the context of a dynamic transatlantic relationship,and thus have traditionally pursued a pro-NATO,pro-US foreign policy.
The Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party,abbreviated to LSAP or POSL,is a social-democratic,pro-European political party in Luxembourg. The LSAP sits on the centre-left of the political spectrum.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Luxembourg since 1 January 2015. A bill for the legalisation of same-sex marriages was enacted by the Chamber of Deputies on 18 June 2014 and signed into law by Grand Duke Henri on 4 July. Luxembourg was the last Benelux country,the sixteenth country in the world,and the tenth in Europe to allow same-sex couples to marry nationwide. Partnerships have also been available in Luxembourg since November 2004.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a ministry of the government of Luxembourg,headquartered in the Bâtiment Mansfeld in Luxembourg City.
Luc Frieden is a Luxembourgish politician and lawyer who serves as the 25th prime minister of Luxembourg since November 2023. A member of the Christian Social People's Party (CSV),he held numerous cabinet positions in the Luxembourgish government between 1998 and 2013,notably serving as the minister for the Treasury and Budget during the transition from the Franc to the Euro and as Minister of Finance during the European debt crisis. Frieden was president of the Luxembourgish Chamber of Commerce and Eurochambres,the business federation of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
Xavier Bettel is a Luxembourgish lawyer and politician who serves as the 14th deputy prime minister of Luxembourg and as the minister for Foreign Affairs since 2023. He served as the 24th prime minister of Luxembourg from 2013 to 2023. He was a member of the Chamber of Deputies (1999–2013) and Mayor of Luxembourg City (2011–2013).
The Verhofstadt II Government was the federal government of Belgium from 12 July 2003 to 21 December 2007.
The Ministry of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure was a ministry of the Government of Luxembourg. Its head office was in the City of Luxembourg.
Early general elections were held in Luxembourg on 20 October 2013. The elections were called after Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker,at the time the longest-serving head of government in the European Union,announced his resignation over a spy scandal involving the Service de Renseignement de l'État (SREL). The review found Juncker deficient in his control over the service.
Etienne Schneider is a Luxembourgish politician and economist who served as First Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg from 2013 to 2020. He is a member of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP).
Cannabis in Luxembourg is legal for recreational and medical use for adults under specific circumstances. A bill was passed in the country's parliament June 2023 to legalise the following for adults in Luxembourg:recreational possession,home-use of cannabis,and growing up to four cannabis plants per household. The law took effect on 21 July 2023.
General elections were held in Luxembourg on 14 October 2018. All 60 seats of the Chamber of Deputies were renewed.
The Bettel II government was the government of Luxembourg from 2018 to 2023. It was led by Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and co-Deputy Prime Ministers Paulette Lenert and François Bausch. It was formed on 5 December 2018,after the 2018 election which saw all 60 seats in the Chamber of Deputies renewed. The government was a continuation of the traffic light coalition between the Democratic Party (DP),the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP) and The Greens from the First Bettel–Schneider Ministry,with minor changes.
Taina Bofferding is a Luxembourgish politician who served as the Minister of the Interior and of Equality between Men and Women under the Government of Xavier Bettel.
Samantha Tanson is a Luxembourgish lawyer and politician. She was the Minister of Culture from December 2018 to November 2023 and the Minister of Justice from September 2019 to November 2023. She was also the Minister of Housing between December 2018 and October 2019.
Fernand Etgen is a Luxembourgish politician of the Democratic Party (DP) who served as the President of the Chamber of Deputies from 2018 to 2023.
Djuna Bernard is a Luxembourgish politician and member of the Luxembourg's Green Party,Déi Gréng. She was a member of the Chamber of Deputies from December 2018 to 2023. A candidate in the 2018 legislative election,she was not directly elected but replaced Sam Tanson when she became Minister for Housing and Culture,making her the youngest deputy in the Chamber at 26 years old. She stood as a candidate for the co-presidency of The Greens in January 2019,and subsequently won in March that year and currently serves with Meris Šehović. Bernard and Šehovićwere both re-elected unopposed in March 2021.
General elections were held in Luxembourg on 8 October 2023 to elect all 60 seats of the Chamber of Deputies.
Yuriko Nadia Backes is a Luxembourgish diplomat and politician who serves as Minister for Defence and Minister for Mobility and Public Transport since 2023. 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.
Martine Hansen is a Luxembourgish agricultural economist and politician who serves as Minister of Agriculture,Food and Viticulture and Minister for Consumer Protection in the Frieden-Bettel Government. She was a member of the Chamber of Deputies (2013–2023) and served as Minister for Higher Education and Research from April to December 2013 in the Juncker–Asselborn II Government.
