Elections in Luxembourg: the collapse of the Greens trips up Bettel
The liberal Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, a familiar face at European summits for ten years, lost his majority on Sunday with the Greens, who suffered a rout, and the Socialists, during legislative elections marked by the victory of the Socialists. Christians (conservatives).
The right-wing sovereignist party (ADR) recorded a new surge (+1 point compared to the 2018 election), at 9.3% of the vote.
As 5 years ago, the Social Christians came first (29% of the votes, +0.9 points) in this small prosperous EU state (660,000 inhabitants), according to complete results published Sunday evening after the end of counting.
But this time the tripartite liberal, socialist and environmentalist coalition, led since 2013 by Xavier Bettel, 50, will not be able to block their path.
The Liberals have certainly progressed to 18.7% (+1.8 points), just like the Socialists to 18.9% (+1.3 points). But the Greens fell by almost 7 points, falling to 8.5%. In total, the alliance lost two mandates and was only credited with 29 seats, or less than half of the 60 in the Chamber of Deputies.
With 21 seats (as in 2018), the social Christians led by former Finance Minister Luc Frieden (60 years old), seemed in a position of strength on Sunday evening.
“The people of Luxembourg have spoken. We have received the clear mandate to lead the next government. The blue-red-green majority no longer exists,” declared Luc Frieden late in the evening.
This party historically dominates the political life of the Grand Duchy. But the formation of former Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker (1995-2013) was excluded from power following a reversal of alliances ten years ago.
