Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party

Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party
Lëtzebuerger Sozialistesch Arbechterpartei
Leader Jean Asselborn
Founded 5 July 1902 (historical)
1945 (modern)
Headquarters 68, rue de Gasperich
Luxembourg
Youth wing Luxembourgese Socialist Youth
Ideology Social democracy,
Democratic socialism
Political position Centre-left
International affiliation Socialist International
European affiliation Party of European Socialists
European Parliament Group Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
Official colours Red
Chamber of Deputies
13 / 60
European Parliament
1 / 6
Website
http://www.lsap.lu
Politics of Luxembourg
Political parties
Elections

The Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (Luxembourgish: Lëtzebuerger Sozialistesch Arbechterpartei, French: Parti Ouvrier Socialiste Luxembourgeois, German: Luxemburger Sozialistische Arbeiterpartei), abbreviated to LSAP or POSL,[1] is a social democratic political party in Luxembourg.

The LSAP is the second-largest party in the Chamber of Deputies, having won 13 of 60 seats at the 2009 election, and has one seat in the European Parliament. It is the junior partner in the current grand coalition with the Christian Social People's Party (CSV). The party's President is Alex Bodry, a deputy and the Mayor of Dudelange, but the leading member in the government is Jean Asselborn, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Primarily social democratic, but with a democratic socialist faction, the party has a strong working class identity.[2] It is close to the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions, the country's largest trade union centre, but they have no formal links.[2] The LSAP is particularly strong in the south of the country,[2] controlling most of the mayoralties in the large towns of the Red Lands. It is affiliated to the Socialist International and Party of European Socialists.

Contents

History

Post-war

The party was reformed after the Second World War as the 'Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party', in the mould of the Labour Party in the United Kingdom,[4] where the government had been exiled. In the first election after the war, in 1945, the LSAP was the big losers, falling to 26% of the vote, but remained in the National Union Government, along with all other parties.[4]

Election results

Below are charts of the results that the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party has secured in the Chamber of Deputies at each election. Timelines showing the number of seats and percentage of votes won are on the right.

Year Vote % Place Seats Place Cabinet
1945 11 2nd Yes
1948 15 2nd Yes
1951 19 2nd Yes
1954 35.1 2nd 17 2nd Yes
1959 34.9 2nd 17 2nd Yes
1964 37.7 1st 21 2nd Yes
1968 32.3 2nd 18 2nd No
1974 29.2 2nd 17 2nd Yes
1979 24.3 2nd 14 3rd No
1984 33.6 2nd 21 2nd Yes
1989 26.2 2nd 18 2nd Yes
1994 25.4 2nd 17 2nd Yes
1999 22.3 3rd 13 3rd No
2004 23.4 2nd 14 2nd Yes
2009 21.6 2nd 13 2nd Yes



Presidents

The formal leader of the party is the President. However, often, a government minister will be the most important member of the party, as Jean Asselborn is now. Below is a list of Presidents of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party since 1945.

Footnotes

  1. ^ LSAP is more commonly used, although the French POSL is also mandated by the party's statutes. (French) "LSAP party statutes". Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party. 17 March 2002. http://www.lsap.lu/forcedownload.php?iddownload=21&type=_pdf_. Retrieved 2006-07-19. 
  2. ^ a b c Hearl (1987), p. 255
  3. ^ Kowalski, Werner. Geschichte der sozialistischen arbeiter-internationale: 1923 - 19. Berlin: Dt. Verl. d. Wissenschaften, 1985. p. 308
  4. ^ a b Thewes (2006), p. 123
  5. ^ (Dutch) Lucardie, A.P.M.. De Stiefkinderen van de Sociaal-Democrati. http://dnpp.eldoc.ub.rug.nl/FILES/root/publicatieLucardie/stiefkinderen/lucardie.pdf. 
  6. ^ "Les présidents du LSAP depuis 1945". Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party. http://www.lsap.lu/2009/index.php?idnavigation=39&fidlanguage=2. Retrieved 23 April 2010. 

References

External links