Luxembourg general election, 2013

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Luxembourg general election, 2013
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←  2009 20 October 2013 2018  →
All 60 seats of the Chamber of Deputies.
31 seats needed for a majority

 First partySecond partyThird party
  Ioannes Claudius Juncker die 7 Martis 2014.jpg Schneider with groupies-001 cropped.jpg Tallinn Digital Summit. Handshake Xavier Bettel and Juri Ratas (36718144533) CROP BETTEL.jpg
Leader Jean-Claude Juncker Etienne Schneider Xavier Bettel
Party CSV LSAP DP
Leader since200920132013
Last election26 seats, 38.0%13 seats, 21.5%9 seats, 15.0%
Seats won231313
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 3Steady2.svg 0Increase2.svg 4
Popular vote1,099,323662,343596,736
Percentage33.66%20.28%18.27%
Luxembourg general election, 2013 results by conscription.svg
Results by conscription
Prime Minister before election

Jean-Claude Juncker
CSV

Elected Prime Minister

Xavier Bettel
DP

Sample ballot of the "South" constituency. Specimen Elections legislatives Luxembourg 2013.png
Sample ballot of the "South" constituency.
Luxembourg
Lesser coat of arms of Luxembourg.svg
This article is part of a series on the
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Early general elections were held in Luxembourg on 20 October 2013. [1] 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'Etat (SREL). [2] [3] The review found Juncker deficient in his control over the service. [3]

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.

Jean-Claude Juncker Luxembourgian politician

Jean-Claude Juncker is a Luxembourgish politician serving as President of the European Commission since 2014. From 1995 to 2013 he served as the 23rd Prime Minister of Luxembourg; from 1989 to 2009 he was also Minister for Finances.

European Union Economic and political union of European states

The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 28 member states that are located primarily in Europe. It has an area of 4,475,757 km2 (1,728,099 sq mi) and an estimated population of about 513 million. The EU has developed an internal single market through a standardised system of laws that apply in all member states in those matters, and only those matters, where members have agreed to act as one. EU policies aim to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services and capital within the internal market, enact legislation in justice and home affairs and maintain common policies on trade, agriculture, fisheries and regional development. For travel within the Schengen Area, passport controls have been abolished. A monetary union was established in 1999 and came into full force in 2002 and is composed of 19 EU member states which use the euro currency.

Contents

The elections saw Juncker's Christian Social People's Party lose three seats, but remain the largest party in the Chamber of Deputies with 23 of the 60 seats.

Christian Social Peoples Party political party in Luxembourg

The Christian Social People's Party, abbreviated to CSV or PCS, is the largest political party in Luxembourg. The party follows a Christian-democratic ideology and, like most parties in Luxembourg, is strongly pro-European. The CSV is a member of the European People's Party (EPP) and the Centrist Democrat International (CDI).

Chamber of Deputies (Luxembourg) parliament of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

The Chamber of Deputies, abbreviated to the Chamber, is the unicameral national legislature of Luxembourg. Krautmaart is sometimes used as a metonym for the Chamber, after the square on which the Hôtel de la Chambre is located.

Background

After a spy scandal involving the SREL illegally wiretapping politicians, the Grand Duke and his family, and allegations of paying for favours in exchange for access to government ministers and officials leaked through the press, Prime Minister Juncker submitted his resignation to the Grand Duke on 11 July 2013, upon knowledge of the withdrawal of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party from the government and thereby losing its confidence and supply in the Chamber of Deputies. Juncker urged the Grand Duke for the immediate dissolution of parliament and the calling of a snap election. [2]

The Service de Renseignement de l’État, full name Service de Renseignement de l’État Luxembourgeois, is the Luxembourgish homeland intelligence agency. The agency is colloquially known in Luxembourgish as the "Spëtzeldéngscht“.

Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg Grand Duke (head of state) of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Henri is the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, reigning since 7 October 2000. He is the eldest son of Grand Duke Jean and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, and a first cousin of Philippe, the king of the Belgians.

Resignation is the formal act of giving up or quitting one's office or position. A resignation can occur when a person holding a position gained by election or appointment steps down, but leaving a position upon the expiration of a term, or choosing not to seek an additional term, is not considered resignation.

Electoral system

The 60 members of the Chamber of Deputies were elected by proportional representation in four multi-member constituencies; 9 in North constituency, 7 in East, 23 in South and 21 in Centre. Voters could vote for a party list or cast multiple votes for as many candidates as there were seats. Seat allocation was calculated in accordance with the Hagenbach-Bischoff quota. [4]

Proportional representation (PR) characterizes electoral systems in which divisions in an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. If n% of the electorate support a particular political party, then roughly n% of seats will be won by that party. The essence of such systems is that all votes contribute to the result - not just a plurality, or a bare majority. The most prevalent forms of proportional representation all require the use of multiple-member voting districts, as it is not possible to fill a single seat in a proportional manner. In fact, the implementations of PR that achieve the highest levels of proportionality tend to include districts with large numbers of seats.

Legislative circonscriptions (Luxembourg) Wikimedia list article

A legislative circonscription is a multi-member electoral constituency that elects representatives ('deputies') to Luxembourg's unicameral national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies.

The Hagenbach-Bischoff quota is a formula used in some voting systems based on proportional representation (PR). It is used in some elections held under the largest remainder method of party-list proportional representation as well as in a variant of the D'Hondt method known as the Hagenbach-Bischoff system. The Hagenbach-Bischoff quota is named for its inventor, Swiss professor of physics and mathematics Eduard Hagenbach-Bischoff (1833–1910)

Voting was compulsory for all citizens between the age of 18 and 75, whilst those over 75 and citizens living abroad were the only ones allowed to vote by post. Failure to vote could have resulted in a fine of between €100 and €250. [4]

Parties

Nine parties contested the election, of which five won seats in the Chamber of Deputies at the last election: the Christian Social People's Party (CSV), the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP), the Democratic Party (DP), the Greens, the Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR), and The Left. [5] Two extra-parliamentary parties also ran: the Communist Party (KPL) and Pirate Party Luxembourg (PPLU). In addition, the Party for Full Democracy (PID), which was headed by independent deputy Jean Colombera, also contested the election. All parties that ran in the election submitted lists in all constituencies.

Luxembourg Socialist Workers Party political party in Luxembourg

The Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party, abbreviated to LSAP or POSL, is a social-democratic political party in Luxembourg. The LSAP is the second-largest party in the Chamber of Deputies, having won 13 of 60 seats at the 2013 general election, and has one seat in the European Parliament. The LSAP is currently part of the Bettel–Schneider government, with Etienne Schneider of the LSAP serving as Deputy Prime Minister. Since March 2014, the party's President has been Claude Haagen.

Democratic Party (Luxembourg) political party in Luxembourg

The Democratic Party, abbreviated to DP, is the major liberal political party in Luxembourg. One of the three major parties, the DP sits on the centre to centre-right, holding moderate market liberal views combined with a strong emphasis on civil liberties, human rights, and internationalism.

The Greens (Luxembourg) political party in Luxembourg

The Greens is a green political party in Luxembourg.

List #PartyRunning inSeats
Centre Est Nord Sud 2009 Pre-election
1 The Left Yes check.svg Yes check.svg Yes check.svg Yes check.svg 11
2 Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR) Yes check.svg Yes check.svg Yes check.svg Yes check.svg 43 [6]
3 Communist Party (KPL) Yes check.svg Yes check.svg Yes check.svg Yes check.svg 00
4 Democratic Party (DP) Yes check.svg Yes check.svg Yes check.svg Yes check.svg 99
5 Pirate Party Luxembourg (PPLU) Yes check.svg Yes check.svg Yes check.svg Yes check.svg 00
6 Greens Yes check.svg Yes check.svg Yes check.svg Yes check.svg 77
7 Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP) Yes check.svg Yes check.svg Yes check.svg Yes check.svg 1313
8 Christian Social People's Party (CSV) Yes check.svg Yes check.svg Yes check.svg Yes check.svg 2626
9 Party for Full Democracy (PID) Yes check.svg Yes check.svg Yes check.svg Yes check.svg 01 [6]

Opinion polls

PublishedCompany CSV LSAP DP The Greens ADR The Left KP Piraten
27.08-13.09.2013 TNS 33%15%15%10%1%4%1%1%
2009 elections 38.0%21.5%15.0%11.7%8.1%3.3%1.4% 

Results

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Christian Social People's Party 1,103,63633.6823–3
Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party 664,58620.28130
Democratic Party 597,87918.2513+4
The Greens 331,92010.136–1
Alternative Democratic Reform Party 217,6836.643–1
The Left 161,7594.942+1
Pirate Party Luxembourg 96,2702.940New
Communist Party of Luxembourg 53,6691.6400
Party for Full Democracy 49,2901.500New
Total3,276,692100600
Valid votes203,55793.18
Invalid/blank votes14,8966.82
Total votes cast218,453100
Registered voters/turnout239,66891.15
Source: Elections in Luxembourg, IFES

NB: Each ballot contains multiple votes. The total shown above includes invalid ballots. 203,557 valid ballots were cast, which represents 85% of the electorate.


Popular Vote
CSV
 
33.68%
LSAP
 
20.28%
DP
 
18.25%
Déi Gréng
 
10.13%
ADR
 
6.64%
Déi Lénk
 
4.94%
Piratepartei
 
2.94%
KPL
 
1.64%
PID
 
1.50%
Seats
CSV
 
38.33%
LSAP
 
21.67%
DP
 
21.67%
Déi Gréng
 
10.00%
ADR
 
5.00%
Déi Lénk
 
3.33%

Results by locality

The CSV was the largest party in almost every commune (in orange) -- as in all elections since the CSV was founded. The DP was the largest in four (in blue) and the LSAP the biggest in three (red). CSV DP LSAP Luxembourg legislative election 2013 communes map.png
The CSV was the largest party in almost every commune (in orange) — as in all elections since the CSV was founded. The DP was the largest in four (in blue) and the LSAP the biggest in three (red).
  CSV
  DP
  LSAP

As in 2004 and 2009, the CSV won pluralities in each of Luxembourg's four circonscriptions. However, the CSV's performance declined in all circonscriptions from 2009. The CSV held up the best in Centre, where it lost only 3.29% compared to its 2009 result. The CSV's sharpest decline was in Nord, where the party lost 5.91%. It nonetheless held a 10% lead over DP in Nord; Nord was the last constituency to not vote for the CSV at the national level, when the DP beat the CSV by 2% in Nord in 1999. Overall, despite a relative decline, the CSV retained a comfortable lead in all circonscriptons, both in votes and in seats.

Results by circonscription

CSVLSAPDPGreensADRLeftKPLPPLUPID
Centre35.31%14.65%25.02%10.46%5.01%4.75%0.86%2.72%1.22%
Est36.90%14.59%18.63%13.10%8.69%3.05%0.79%2.69%1.55%
Nord33.69%17.22%23.71%9.01%6.36%2.56%0.81%3.37%3.26%
Sud32.20%25.23%12.76%10.13%7.55%5.70%2.39%3.03%1.35%

Distribution of seats by circonscription

CSVLSAPDPGreensADRLeftKPLPPLUPID
Centre836211000
Est312100000
Nord422100000
Sud873221000

Government formation

Following the elections, the Democratic Party, the Socialist Workers' Party and the Greens began initial talks about forming a coalition (dubbed the "Gambia coalition", after Gambia's flag colours), pushing the Christian Social People's Party into the opposition for the first time since 1979. [7] On 25 October, Xavier Bettel, the leader of the Democratic Party and mayor of Luxembourg City, was named formateur by the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. [8] The negotiations were finished by 29 November, as planned. [9] [10] The new Bettel-Schneider Ministry was sworn in on 4 December. [11]

↓
131362332
LSAPDPGreensCSVADRThe Left

Related Research Articles

The politics of Luxembourg takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic monarchy, whereby the Prime Minister of Luxembourg is the head of government, and the multi-party system. Executive power is under the constitution of 1868, as amended, exercised by the government, by the Grand Duke and the Council of Government (cabinet), which consists of a prime minister and several other ministers. Usually the prime minister is the leader of the political party or coalition of parties having the most seats in parliament. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.

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Xavier Bettel Luxembourgish politician

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2018 Luxembourg general election

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The Second Bettel–Schneider Ministry is the current government of Luxembourg. It is led by Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and Co-Deputy Prime Ministers Étienne Schneider and Félix Braz. It was formed on 5 December 2018, after the 2018 election to the Chamber of Deputies. The government is 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.

References

  1. ↑ Luxembourg calls early elections after spy scandal Archived 2013-07-19 at Archive.is France 24, 19 July 2013
  2. 1 2 "Luxembourg spying scandal breaks Juncker government". Reuters. 10 July 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Luxembourg PM Juncker offers government resignation". BBC News. 11 July 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  4. 1 2 Electoral system IPU
  5. ↑ The Left is technically not a party, but an electoral alliance.
  6. 1 2 Jean Colombera was elected as a member of the Alternative Democratic Reform Party in 2009, but left part way through the legislative session to sit as an independent, and ran for Party for Full Democracy in this election.
  7. ↑ "DP, LSAP et Déi Gréng feront ménage à trois" [DP, LSAP and The Greens to form a threesome]. L'essentiel (in French). 21 October 2013.
  8. ↑ "Xavier Bettel nommé formateur par le Grand-Duc" [Xavier Bettel named formateur by the Grand Duke]. L'essentiel (in French). 25 October 2013.
  9. ↑ "Un nouveau gouvernement dans onze jours" [A new government in eleven days]. L'essentiel (in French). 18 November 2013.
  10. ↑ "Au Luxembourg, une grande coalition pour tourner la page Juncker". Le Quotidien. 29 November 2013. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013.
  11. ↑ "Assermentation des membres du nouveau gouvernement" [Swearing-in of the members of the new government] (in French). Government of Luxembourg. 4 December 2013.
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