Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party

Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party Lëtzebuerger Sozialistesch Aarbechterpartei
Leader	Claude Haagen
Founded	5 July 1902 (historical) 1945 (modern)
Headquarters	68, rue de Gasperich Luxembourg
Youth wing	Luxembourg Socialist Youths
Ideology	Social democracy
Political position	Centre-left[1][2]
European affiliation	Party of European Socialists
International affiliation	Socialist International, Progressive Alliance
European Parliament group	Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
Colours	Red
Chamber of Deputies	13 / 60
European Parliament	1 / 6
Website
www.lsap.lu
Politics of Luxembourg Political parties Elections

The Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (Luxembourgish: Lëtzebuerger Sozialistesch Aarbechterpartei, French: Parti Ouvrier Socialiste Luxembourgeois, German: Luxemburger Sozialistische Arbeiterpartei), abbreviated to LSAP or POSL,^[3] is a social-democratic^[4][5][2] political party in Luxembourg. The LSAP is the second-largest party in the Chamber of Deputies, having won 13 of 60 seats at the 2013 general election, and has one seat in the European Parliament. The LSAP is currently part of the Bettel-Schneider government, with Etienne Schneider of the LSAP serving as Deputy Prime Minister. Since March 2014 the party's President has been Claude Haagen.^[6]

Primarily social-democratic, but with a democratic socialist faction, the party has a strong working class identity.^[7] It is close to the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions, the country's largest trade union centre, but they have no formal links.^[7] The LSAP is particularly strong in the south of the country,^[7] controlling most of the mayoralties in the large towns of the Red Lands. It is affiliated to the Socialist International, Progressive Alliance and Party of European Socialists.

History

The party was formed on 5 July 1902 as the Social Democratic Party. Left-wing elements split in 1905 to create the Social Democratic Workers' Party. These were both re-united in 1912. In 1916, the party was renamed to 'Socialist Party', part of the International.

On 2 January 1921, communist elements split to create the Communist Party of Luxembourg. The Socialist Party was renamed the 'Luxembourg Workers' Party' in 1924, and was a member of the Labour and Socialist International between 1923 and 1940.^[8] On 5 November 1937, the Party joined the government for the first time, in a coalition under Prime Minister Pierre Dupong.

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,^[9] where the government had been exiled. In the first election after the war, in 1945, the LSAP was the big loser, falling to 26% of the vote, but remained in the National Union Government, along with all other parties.^[9] In 1947, the party started its process of re-building itself, and it managed to join a coalition government (1951-1959 in the Dupong-Bodson and Bech Bodson governments, and 1964-1968 in the Werner-Cravatte government). The discussions over the party's direction split the LSAP again. On 2 May 1970, Henry Cravatte was ejected as President by a trades union-led coup. In March 1971, centrist elements, led by Cravatte, split to create the Social Democratic Party.^[10] Those who left included 6 Deputies and most of the party leadership.

However, the LSAP could recover by 1974 and joined the DP in a Centre-Left coalition (Thorn-Vouel-Berg government), which enacted important social reforms: judicial system reforms (including a humanisation of the penal system), introduction of a fifth week of holiday, general introduction of the 40-hour-week, the salary index, reform of unemployment benefits. This did not prevent an electoral defeat in 1979. In this legislative period, the LSAP held their famous energy conference, and decided a moratorium for the atomic power station of Remerschen. This was the definitive end of project.

In 1984, the LSAP were re-united with most of the Social Democratic Party (some members joined the Christian Social People's Party).

Recent history

Following the 2004 general election, the LSAP served in the government of Luxembourg as junior partner to the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) under Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker in the first Juncker–Asselborn government, with the LSAP's Jean Asselborn serving as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs. The coalition with the CSV continued as the second Juncker–Asselborn government following the 2009 general election, which lasted until July 2013 when the LSAP withdrew its support from the government, necessitating early elections.^[11]

Following the 2013 general election, the LSAP has been in a three-party Bettel-Schneider government with the Democratic Party and The Greens, with the Democratic Party's Xavier Bettel serving as Prime Minister and Etienne Schneider of the LSAP as Deputy Prime Minister.

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 1919 15.6 2nd 8 2nd 1922 10.7 4th 6 3rd 1925 16.2 2nd 8 2nd 1928 32.6 2nd 12 2nd 1931 19.2 2nd 15 2nd 1934 29.4 2nd 14 2nd 1937 24.7 2nd 18 2nd 1945 23.4 2nd 11 2nd Yes 1948 37.8 1st 15 2nd Yes 1951 33.8 2nd 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 2013 20.2 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.

• Michel Rasquin (1945 – 1951)
• Paul Wilwertz (1951 – 1952)
• Albert Bousser (1952 – 1954)
• Émile Ludwig (1954 – 1955)
• Paul Wilwertz (1955 – 1959)
• Henry Cravatte (1959 – 1970)
• Antoine Wehenkel (1970 – 1974)
• Lydie Schmit (1974 – 1980)
• Robert Krieps (1980 – 1985)
• Ben Fayot (1985 – 1997)
• Jean Asselborn (1997 – 2004)
• Alex Bodry (2004 – 2014)^[12]
• Claude Haagen (2014-)

Footnotes

References

• Hearl, Derek (1987). "Luxembourg 1945–82: Dimensions and Strategies". In Budge, Ian; Robertson, David; Hearl, Derek. Ideology, Strategy, and Party Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 254–69. ISBN 978-0-521-30648-5. 
• Thewes, Guy (October 2006). Les gouvernements du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg depuis 1848 (PDF) (in French) (2006 ed.). Luxembourg City: Service Information et Presse. ISBN 978-2-87999-156-6. Retrieved 13 April 2010. 

External links

• Official website (Luxembourgish) (French)

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