Recent political history
Since the end of World War II, the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) has been the senior partner in all governing coalitions with two exceptions: between 1974–79 (DP–LSAP coalition) and between 2013-2023 (DP–LSAP–Green coalition). The Catholic-oriented CSV resembles Christian democratic political parties in other West European nations, and enjoys broad popular support making it the strongest party in the country and the second strongest in those regions where it is not the "number one".
The Democratic Party (DP) is a social-liberal party, drawing support from self-employed persons, the business community and the urban upper-middle class. Like other West European liberal parties, it advocates a mixture of basic social legislation and minimum government involvement in the economy. It is strongly pro-NATO and defends the idea of a secular state in which religion should not play any role in public life. The DP had been a junior partner in coalition governments with the CSV in 1979–1984 and 1999–2004, and senior partner in a coalition government with the LSAP in 1974–1979. The traditional stronghold of the party is the City of Luxembourg, the Buergermeeschter (Mayor) of the nation's capital coming usually from the ranks of the DP.
The Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP) is a party of social-democratic orientation which has been a junior partner in most governments since 1974 either with the CSV in 1984–1999 and 2004–2013, or the Democratic Party in 1974–1979. Its stronghold lies in the industrial belt in the south of the country (the Minette Region, which is mainly the canton of Esch). Since the elections of October 2023 it has been in opposition.
The Greens have received growing support since it was officially formed in 1983. It opposes both nuclear weapons and nuclear power and supports environmental and ecological preservation measures. This party generally opposes Luxembourg's military policies, including its membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
The Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR) is a national conservative political party. It endorses a softly eurosceptic line and advocates and promotes intensely the preservation and use of the Luxembourgish language. It is sometimes described as a mildly populist right-wing party. [3]
The Left is a democratic socialist party. It was formed in 1999. It won its first seat in the Chamber of Deputies in 1999. It currently holds two seats in the Chamber and has done so since 2013.
The Pirate Party Luxembourg was formed in October 2009. It won its first two seats in the Chamber of Deputies in 2018 with 6.45% of the vote.
The Communist Party (KPL), which received 10%–18% of the vote in national elections from World War II to the 1960s, won two seats in the 1984 elections, one in 1989, and none in 1994. The last election it won a seat in Luxembourg's national legislature was in 1999 with 3.3% of the vote. It lost this single seat in 2004 and has held no seats in Luxembourg's national legislature since. It also holds no seats in the EU Parliament. Its small remaining support lies in the heavily industrialised south.
In the June 2004 parliamentary elections, the CSV won 24 seats, the LSAP 14, the DP 10, the Greens 7, and the Alternative Democratic Reform Party 5. The Left and the Communist Party each lost its single seat in part due to their separate campaigns. The Democratic Party which had become the junior coalition partner in 1999 registered heavy losses. The long-reigning CSV was the main winner, partly due to the personal popularity of the prime minister Jean-Claude Juncker (CSV). In July 2004, it chose the LSAP as its coalition partner. Jean Asselborn (LSAP) was appointed as the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration. In 2013, the CSV lost one seat (23 seats instead of 24).
A complete list of all governments is maintained on the website of the Government of Luxembourg. [4]
In 2008, the bitter controversy over euthanasia had parliament pass a measure which would restrict the legislative veto powers of the grand duke, who had opposed the pro-euthanasia law on the grounds of his personal moral standards based on the Christian faith, a problem of private conscience very similar to what had occurred in Belgium in the early 1990s when King Baudouin expressed his opposition to a law liberalizing abortion. [5]
In July 2013, Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker announced his resignation following a secret service scandal. He had been prime minister since 1995. [6]
In December 2013, openly gay Xavier Bettel was sworn in as the new prime minister to succeed Juncker. Bettel of Democratic Party (DP), formed a coalition of Liberals, Social Democrats and Greens who won a combined majority of 32 out of 60 seats in Luxembourg's snap election on 20 October 2013. However, Juncker's Christian Democrats (CSV) remained the biggest party with 23 seats. [7]
In July 2014, European Parliament elected former Luxembourg prime minister Jean-Claude Juncker as the President of the European Commission on 1 November 2014, succeeding Portugal's Jose Manuel Barroso, who had held the post since 2004. [8]
In December 2018, Prime Minister Xavier Bettel was sworn in for a second term, following the narrow victory of his liberal-led coalition in 2018 parliamentary election. [9]
On 12 July the Luxembourg Parliament supported the expansion of NATO.
In October 2023, the Christian Social People’s Party (CSV) won the general election, meaning Prime Minister Xavier Bettel’s ruling liberal coalition lost its clear majority. [10] In November 2023, Luc Frieden, leader of CSV, became new Prime minister of Luxemburg. He formed a coalition with the liberal Democratic Party (DP), meaning outgoing Prime Minister Xavier Bettel remained in government as foreign minister and deputy prime minister. [11]
International organization membership
Luxembourg is a member of ACCT, Australia Group, Benelux, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, ITUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, Zangger Committee
