Referendum questions drafted

(CS) The wording of a referendum question on foreigner voting rights was presented on Monday, along with three other questions to be put to a vote next year.

The questions were presented by a parliamentary commission dedicated to constitutional reform and will form the basis of the draft law. However, until the law is passed in parliament, changes to the text are still possible.

The referendum questions will be asked in French, German and Luxembourgish; however, on Monday only the French version was publicly available on chamber.lu

The referendum will cover four topics – lowering the voting age to 16, foreigner voting rights, limiting political mandates to a period of ten years and state contributions to affiliated faith groups. The state has conventions with a number of different religious communities in the Grand Duchy, also including provisions for financial support.

The text is French is included below. For an English translation, read on:

• Do you agree with the idea that Luxembourgers aged between 16 and 18 should have the right, at their own discretion, to register on the electoral roll to participate as voters in the Chamber of Deputies elections, European elections, local elections, as well as referenda?

• Do you agree with the idea that non-Luxembourgish residents should have the right, at their own discretion, to register on the electoral roll to participate as voters in the Chamber of Deputies elections, provided they have lived at least 10 years in Luxembourg and have previously taken part in local or European elections in Luxembourg?

• Do you agree with the idea to limit the maximum period during which a person can continuously be a member of government to ten years?

• Do you agree with the idea that the state should no longer have the obligation to support the salaries and pensions of ministers of recognised religions?

The French original:

• Approuvez-vous l’idée que les Luxembourgeois âgés entre seize et dix-huit ans aient le droit de s’inscrire de manière facultative sur les listes électorales en vue de participer comme électeurs aux élections à la Chambre des Députés, aux élections européennes et communales ainsi qu’aux référendums?

• Approuvez-vous l’idée que les résidents non luxembourgeois aient le droit de s’inscrire de manière facultative sur les listes électorales en vue de participer comme électeurs aux élections à la Chambre des Députés, à la double condition particulière d’avoir résidé pendant au moins dix ans au Luxembourg et d’avoir préalablement participé aux élections communales ou européennes au Luxembourg?

• Approuvez-vous l’idée de limiter à dix ans la durée maximum pendant laquelle, de façon continue, une personne peut faire partie du gouvernement?

• Approuvez-vous l’idée que l’Etat n’ait plus l’obligation de prendre en charge les traitements et pensions des ministres des cultes reconnus ?