Luxembourg general election, 1848

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General elections were held in Luxembourg on 28 September 1848. [1] They were the first direct elections to the Chamber of Deputies. Doctrinaire Liberals, who had been in power since 1841, lost the election to progressive Liberals and Catholics who were supportive of the new constitution. [1]

Luxembourg Grand duchy in western Europe

Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a small landlocked country in western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France to the south. Its capital, Luxembourg City, is one of the three official capitals of the European Union and the seat of the European Court of Justice, the highest judicial authority in the EU. Its culture, people, and languages are highly intertwined with its neighbours, making it essentially a mixture of French and German cultures, as evident by the nation's three official languages: French, German, and the national language, Luxembourgish. The repeated invasions by Germany, especially in World War II, resulted in the country's strong will for mediation between France and Germany and, among other things, led to the foundation of the European Union.

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Electoral system

The elections were the first held after a new electoral law was passed on 23 July 1848, which established direct and secret elections. It also reduced the tax qualification from 10 florins to 10 francs. [2] Although this doubled the number of voters from around 5,000 to 9,868, 95% of the population remained disenfranchised. [1] They were also the first elections held under the 1848 constitution, which was based on the Belgian constitution and introduced a parliamentary system with a constitutional monarchy, limiting the powers of the Grand Duke. [3]

Constitution of Belgium constitution

The Constitution of Belgium dates back to 1831. Since then Belgium has been a parliamentary monarchy that applies the principles of ministerial responsibility for the government policy and the Trias Politica. The Constitution established Belgium as a centralised unitary state. However, since 1970, through successive state reforms, Belgium has gradually evolved into a federal state.

Aftermath

Although the progressive Liberals and Catholics held a majority of seats, the accession of William III to the throne in 1849 reduced their power. William opposed the 1848 constitution, supported the doctrinaire Liberals and demanded that the full power of the monarchy be restored. [1]

William III of the Netherlands King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg 1849 - 1890

William III was King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 1849 until his death in 1890. He was also the Duke of Limburg from 1849 until the abolition of the duchy in 1866.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1230 ISBN   978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. Nohlen & Stöver, pp1228-1230
  3. Nohlen & Stöver, p1229