Introduction to Luxembourg politics

In the run-up to the Luxembourg commune elections, Wort.lu/en is featuring several articles aiming to help you obtain an overview of the different political parties in Luxembourg, their founding pillars, their agenda, their current representation in parliament and so on. These articles will be as objective as possible, describing what the different parties stand for.

Each of the parties will receive five questions relating to their political convictions, their view on non-Luxembourgers’ chances of being elected and how they feel about foreigners’ possibility to vote versus the Luxembourger’s obligation to vote.

In other words the articles will be about the parties and electoral modes allowing you to get an understanding of Luxembourgish politics, whether you are voting in the upcoming local elections or not. The series of articles will end with a “summing up” report.

Voters should of course investigate their commune’s candidates and ballot lists and not solely rely on this overview, which is only meant as “an introduction to the political parties of Luxembourg”. Nevertheless, you should remember that once registered you’re obliged vote. Failure to turn up on the day of election could result in a fine but only if you don't have a valid reason. Of course you still have the possibility to cast a blank vote.

National Elections: Government and parliament

Luxembourg is governed by a coalition between CSV and LSAP as per the results from the national election of June 7th 2009, accepted by the Grand Duke on the 20th of July and entering into force on the 23rd of July 2009. The government is currently made up of 15 ministers, 9 from CSV including the Prime Minister Jean Claude Juncker and 6 from LSAP including the Vice Prime Minister (Jean Asselborn). The two governing parties hold 26 (CSV) and 13 (LSAP) seats, respectively, out of the 60 seats that make up the national parliament (Chambre des Députés).

Luxembourg’s constitutional monarchy currently has 9 different parties registered, of which 8 are represented throughout the 116 different communes: ADR, Biergerlëscht (list of independent candidates), CSV, déi gréng, déi Lénk, DP, KPL and LSAP as well as the newly formed Piratepartei Lëtzebuerg not yet standing in elections. Six of these parties are represented in the national parliament as per the last national elections counted on the basis of the four different constituencies (south, east, north and centre).Biergerlëscht and KPL did not win any mandates in the 2009 national elections.

Local elections: Modes and votes

Local elections take place every 6 years and a voter has as many votes as there are seats on the council. There are two electoral modes depending on the size of each commune.

The principal of “relative majority” is used in communes with less than 3000 inhabitants, requiring the voter to distribute their votes (depending on council seats) between the candidates running for council. He may only cast one vote per candidate.

In communes with 3000 or more inhabitants the system of “proportional representation” includes the use of ballot lists. Consequently, the voter can cast their vote for the individual candidates on a given list or the whole list (party). Should the voter decide to cast their vote for party they, in theory, only have one vote. However, in the case the voter chooses a list where there are less candidates than seats to be filled, they may choose to use their remaining votes on individual candidates or lists, providing that this doesn’t exceed the limit of votes (i.e. free seats on the commune’s council). Should they decide to vote for individual candidates they may cast up to two votes per candidate while casting as many votes as there are seats to be filled.

Running for a seat at the “Conseil Communal”

Foreigners are entitled to run for seats on the commune’s council. They can be elected to a regular seat, the post of Echevin (Alderman) or Mayor. On February 13th 2011, the law concerning local elections was broadened, allowing citizens from non-EU member states to run for seats on the local council. In order to apply, non-Luxembourgish candidates need to have lived at least five years in Luxembourg, of which six months must be in the commune where they seek election.