Santer-Poos II Government

Last updated February 17, 2024

The Santer-Poos II Government was the government of Luxembourg between 14 July 1989 and 13 July 1994. It was the second of three led by, and named after, Prime Minister Jacques Santer. Throughout the ministry, the Deputy Prime Minister was Jacques Poos.

Background

The general election of 18 June 1989 confirmed the existing government coalition in power.^[1] The CSV received 22 seats, with the LSAP receiving 18.^[1] This gave the CSV-LSAP government a solid majority in the legislature, amid a divided opposition.^[1] From then on, 7 parties were represented in the Chamber of Deputies.^[1] In addition to the traditional parties, the CSV, the LSAP, the Democratic Party, and the Communist Party, there were two Green parties and an Action Committee for Democracy and Pensions Justice.^[1]

Reshuffle

The government was reshuffled on 9 December 1992 after René Steichen was appointed to the European Commission.^[1] Marie-Josée Jacobs took over the portfolios of Agriculture and Cultural Affairs.^[1]

Foreign policy

In the European integration process, Luxembourg saw itself as both a mediator and a builder.^[2] When the Single Market came into force on 1 January 1993, this opened new perspectives for the Luxembourgish economy, which depended almost entirely on foreign markets.^[2] However, economic integration also presented dangers. During EC negotiations, the Luxembourgish government opposed a harmonisation of indirect taxation, which would have been harmful to cross-border trade; and also opposed a withholding tax, which would have seen capital flee from the Luxembourg financial centre.^[2]

The question of the seat of European institutions played a major role in the essential interests of the Grand-Duchy.^[2] In the decision of Edinburgh on 12 December 1992, the government succeeded in making permanent the establishment in Luxembourg of those organs and services which had until then been there provisionally.^[2] It also managed to obtain the headquarters of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union, and that of the Court of First Instance.^[2] Apart from European integration, the key elements of the government's foreign policy were promotion of foreign trade, attracting investments, and development aid.^[2]

Economic policy

The period of 1989-1994 was marked by the launch of the Single European Market (1993) and Luxembourg's definitive integration in the economic part of the European Community.^[3] From the early 1990s, there was an increase in cross-border movements, which benefited the Luxembourgish economy and supported growth.^[3] For its economic development, Luxembourg was strongly dependent on trade with neighbouring regions.^[3] The Greater Region not only provided an increasing proportion of the workforce, but also contributed significantly to the fiscal stability of the Grand Duchy through the direct and indirect taxes paid by the cross-border workers.^[3]

The medium-term future of the steel industry seemed secure, even though employment continued to decrease in this industrial branch.^[3] ARBED pursued its programmes of improving its productivity and re-centring on its strategic activities.^[3] The government concentrated its efforts on regional aid, small and medium businesses and research and development.^[3] Thus, the decrease in jobs in steel was partially compensated by the creation of 45 businesses from 1989 to 1993.^[3] Particular attention was given to the media and audiovisual sectors.^[3] Through the law of 11 April 1990 on the creation of a National Fund for the Support of Audiovisual Production and the law of 27 July 1991 on electronic media, the government tried to put the country in a favourable position for a market with strong growth potential.^[3]

The financial centre, which continued to develop and diversify, made up an increasing part of GDP.^[4] In 1992, the reintroduction of the withholding tax (Quellensteuer) in Germany led to the establishment of new German banks in the Grand Duchy.^[4] In parallel, the public finances' dependence on the financial sector increased.^[4] In 1994, while the banks only employed one-tenth of the workforce, they paid a quarter of income taxes.^[4] The levies paid by investment funds and holding companies made up a significant part of public revenue.^[4] Confronted with attacks in the international press attempting to discredit banking activities in Luxembourg, the government took measures to strengthen its control over the financial sector.^[4] The law of 7 July 1989 included provisions to act against money-laundering.^[4] The law of 5 April 1993 on the financial sector fixed the conditions of banking secrecy and obliged credit institutions to know their clients.^[4] The law of 22 December 1993 on tax fraud was directed at fraudulent activities which affect the public interest.^[4] This bundle of measures, when hand in hand with a strengthening of the powers of the regulatory authorities, and aimed to safeguard the moral reputation of the Luxembourgish financial centre abroad.^[4]

Domestic policy

The Santer-Poos government enacted a programme which provided for a reform of pensions and health insurance, measures to support families, innovations in secondary education and the consolidation of financing of hospitals.^[5]

Government policy also increasingly took environmental protection into consideration.^[5] The government launched a campaign to make the public aware of the problem of energy waste, and created an Energy Agency to promote energy savings.^[5] Environmental policy became an area for cooperation in the Greater Region.^[5]

Ministers

14 July 1989 – 9 December 1992

Name		Party	Office
	Jacques Santer	CSV	Prime Minister Minister for the Treasury Minister for Cultural Affairs
	Jacques Poos	LSAP	Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and Cooperation Minister for the Police Force
	Fernand Boden	CSV	Minister for the Family and Solidarity Minister for the Middle Class and Tourism
	Jean Spautz	CSV	Minister for the Interior Minister for Social Housing and Town Planning
	Jean-Claude Juncker	LSAP	Minister for Finances Minister for Work
	Marc Fischbach	CSV	Minister for National Education Minister for Justice Minister for the Civil Service
	Johny Lahure	LSAP	Minister for Health Minister for Social Security Minister for Physical Education and Sport Minister for Youth
	René Steichen	CSV	Minister for Agriculture, Viticulture, and Rural Development Minister-Delegate for Cultural Affairs and Scientific Research
	Robert Goebbels	LSAP	Minister for the Economy Minister for Public Works Minister for Transport
	Alex Bodry	LSAP	Minister for Planning and the Environment Minister for Energy
	Georges Wohlfart	LSAP	Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and Cooperation Secretary of State for the Police Force
	Mady Delvaux-Stehres	LSAP	Secretary of State for Health Secretary of State for Social Security Secretary of State for Physical Education and Sport Secretary of State for Youth
Source: Service Information et Presse

9 December 1992 – 13 July 1994

Name		Party	Office
	Jacques Santer	CSV	Prime Minister Minister for the Treasury Minister for Cultural Affairs
	Jacques Poos	LSAP	Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and Cooperation Minister for the Police Force
	Fernand Boden	CSV	Minister for the Family and Solidarity Minister for the Middle Class and Tourism
	Jean Spautz	CSV	Minister for the Interior Minister for Social Housing and Town Planning
	Jean-Claude Juncker	LSAP	Minister for Finances Minister for Work
	Marc Fischbach	CSV	Minister for National Education and Scientific Research Minister for Justice Minister for the Civil Service
	Johny Lahure	LSAP	Minister for Health Minister for Social Security Minister for Physical Education and Sport Minister for Youth
	Robert Goebbels	LSAP	Minister for the Economy Minister for Public Works Minister for Transport
	Alex Bodry	LSAP	Minister for Planning and the Environment Minister for Energy Minister for Communications
	Marie-Josée Jacobs	CSV	Minister for Agriculture, Viticulture, and Rural Development Minister-Delegate for Cultural Affairs
	Georges Wohlfart	LSAP	Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and Cooperation Secretary of State for the Police Force
	Mady Delvaux-Stehres	LSAP	Secretary of State for Health Secretary of State for Social Security Secretary of State for Physical Education and Sport Secretary of State for Youth
Source: Service Information et Presse

Footnotes

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Thewes (2011), p. 210
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Thewes (2011), p. 213
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Thewes (2011), p. 214
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Thewes (2011), p. 215
1 2 3 4 Thewes (2011), p. 216

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References

Thewes, Guy (2011). Les gouvernements du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg depuis 1848 [The governments of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg](PDF) (in French). Service Information et Presse. pp. 210–217. ISBN 978-2-87999-212-9.

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[:0-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Thewes (2011), p. 210

[:1-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Thewes (2011), p. 213

[:2-3] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Thewes (2011), p. 214

[:3-4] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Thewes (2011), p. 215

[:4-5] 1 2 3 4 Thewes (2011), p. 216

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v t e Santer-Poos II (1989 – 1994)
Jacques Santer Jacques Poos
Fernand Boden Jean Spautz Jean-Claude Juncker Marc Fischbach Johny Lahure Robert Goebbels Alex Bodry Marie-Josée Jacobs (1992–4) Mady Delvaux-Stehres René Steichen (1989–92) Georges Wohlfart