Luxembourg general election, 2013

Luxembourg general election, 2013

20 October 2013

All 60 seats of the Chamber of Deputies. 31 seats needed for a majority   First party Second party Third party   Leader Jean-Claude Juncker Etienne Schneider Xavier Bettel Party CSV LSAP DP Leader since 2009 2013 2013 Last election 26 seats, 38.0% 13 seats, 21.5% 9 seats, 15.0% Seats won 23 13 13 Seat change 3 0 4 Popular vote 1,099,323 662,343 596,736 Percentage 33.66% 20.28% 18.27%

Prime Minister before election Jean-Claude Juncker CSV Elected Prime Minister Xavier Bettel DP

Sample ballot of the "South" constituency.

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Early general elections were held in Luxembourg on 20 October 2013.^[1] The elections were called after Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, at the time the longest serving head of government in the European Union, announced his resignation over a spy scandal involving the Service de Renseignement de l'Etat (SREL).^[2][3] The review found Juncker deficient in his control over the service.^[3]

The elections saw Juncker's Christian Social People's Party lose three seats, but remain the largest party in the Chamber of Deputies with 23 of the 60 seats.

Background

After a spy scandal involving the SREL illegally wiretapping politicians, the Grand Duke and his family, and allegations of paying for favours in exchange for access to government ministers and officials leaked through the press, Prime Minister Juncker submitted his resignation to the Grand Duke on 11 July 2013, upon knowledge of the withdrawal of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party from the government and thereby losing its confidence and supply in the Chamber of Deputies. Juncker urged the Grand Duke for the immediate dissolution of parliament and the calling of a snap election.^[2]

Electoral system

The 60 members of the Chamber of Deputies were elected by proportional representation in four multi-member constituencies; 9 in North constituency, 7 in East, 23 in South and 21 in Centre. Voters could vote for a party list or cast multiple votes for as many candidates as there were seats. Seat allocation was calculated in accordance with the Hagenbach-Bischoff quota.^[4]

Voting was compulsory for all citizens between the age of 18 and 75, whilst those over 75 and citizens living abroad were the only ones allowed to vote by post. Failure to vote could have resulted in a fine of between €100 and €250.^[4]

Parties

Nine parties contested the election, of which, five won seats in Chamber of Deputies at the last election: the Christian Social People's Party (CSV), the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP), the Democratic Party (DP), the Greens, the Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR), and The Left.^[5] Two extra-parliamentary parties also ran: the Communist Party (KPL) and Pirate Party Luxembourg (PPLU). In addition, the Party for Full Democracy (PID), which was headed by independent deputy Jean Colombera, also contested the election. All parties that ran in the election submitted lists in all constituencies.

List #	Party		Running in				Seats
			Centre	Est	Nord	Sud	2009	Pre-election
1		The Left					1	1
2		Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR)					4	3[6]
3		Communist Party (KPL)					0	0
4		Democratic Party (DP)					9	9
5		Pirate Party Luxembourg (PPLU)					0	0
6		Greens					7	7
7		Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP)					13	13
8		Christian Social People's Party (CSV)					26	26
9		Party for Full Democracy (PID)					0	1[6]

Opinion polls

Results

NB: Each ballot contains multiple votes. The total shown above includes invalid ballots. 203,557 valid ballots were cast, which represents 85% of the electorate.

Results by locality

The CSV was the largest party in almost every commune (in orange) — as in all elections since the CSV was founded. The DP was the largest in four (in blue) and the LSAP the biggest in three (red).

  CSV

  DP

  LSAP

As in 2004 and 2009, the CSV won pluralities in each of Luxembourg's four circonscriptions. However, the CSV's performance declined in all circonscriptions from 2009. The CSV held up the best in Centre, where it lost only 3.29% compared to its 2009 result. The CSV's sharpest decline was in Nord, where the party lost 5.91%. It nonetheless held a 10% lead over DP in Nord; Nord was the last constituency to not vote for the CSV at the national level, when the DP beat the CSV by 2% in Nord in 1999. Overall, despite a relative decline, the CSV retained a comfortable lead in all circonscriptions, both in votes and in seats.

Results by circonscription

Distribution of seats by circonscription

Government formation

Following the elections, the Democratic Party, the Socialist Workers' Party and the Greens began initial talks about forming a coalition (dubbed the "Gambia coalition", after Gambia's flag colours), pushing the Christian Social People's Party into the opposition for the first time since 1979.^[7] On 25 October, Xavier Bettel, the leader of the Democratic Party and mayor of Luxembourg City, was named formateur by the Grand Duke of Luxembourg.^[8] The negotiations were finished by 29 November, as planned.^[9][10] The new Bettel-Schneider Ministry was sworn in on 4 December.^[11]

References

Elections and referendums in Luxembourg General elections 1848 (Apr) 1848 (Sep) 1915 1918 1919 1922* 1925 1928* 1931* 1934* 1937* 1945 1948* 1951* 1954 1959 1964 1968 1974 1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2013 Communal elections 1981 1987 1993 1999 2005 2011 2017 European elections 1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014 Referendums 1919 1937 2005 2015 * Partial elections.