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List of prime ministers of Luxembourg

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Prime Minister of Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Luxembourgish: Premierminister vu Lëtzebuerg
French: Premier ministre luxembourgeois
German: Premierminister von Luxemburg
Lesser coat of arms of Luxembourg
Incumbent
Luc Frieden
since 17 November 2023
Executive branch of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
StyleMr. Prime Minister (informal)
The Honorable (formal)
His Excellency (diplomatic)
StatusHead of government
Member of
Reports toMonarch • Parliament
ResidenceHôtel Saint-Maximin
SeatLuxembourg City
AppointerGrand Duke of Luxembourg
Term lengthNo fixed term
Constituting instrumentConstitution of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Formation1 August 1848; 176 years ago (1848-08-01)
First holderGaspard-Théodore-Ignace de la Fontaine
Unofficial namesMinister of State
"Premier"
DeputyDeputy Prime Minister
Salary€256,800 annually[1]
Websitegouvernement.lu
Politics of Luxembourg
Constitution
Monarchy
Executive
Legislature
Elections
Administrative divisions
Foreign relations

The prime minister of Luxembourg (Luxembourgish: Premierminister vu Lëtzebuerg; French: Premier ministre luxembourgeois; German: Premierminister von Luxemburg) is the head of government of Luxembourg. The prime minister leads the executive branch, chairs the Cabinet and appoints its ministers.

Since 1989, the title of Prime Minister has been an official one,[2] although the head of the government had been unofficially known by that name for some time. Between 1857 and 1989, the prime minister was styled the President of the Government,[3] with the exception of the 25-day premiership of Mathias Mongenast.[4] Before 1857, the prime minister was the President of the Council. In addition to these titles, the prime minister uses the title Minister of State, although this is usually relegated to a secondary title.

This is a list of prime ministers and governments since the post was founded, in 1848. In larger font are the dates of the prime ministers entering and leaving office. The smaller dates, during the respective premierships, are those of the prime ministers' governments. Luxembourg has a collegial governmental system; often, the government will present its resignation, only for the successor government to include many, if not most, of the previous ministers serving under the same prime minister. Each of the smaller dates reflects a change in the government without a change of prime minister.

Era of independents (1848–1918)

From the promulgation of the first constitution, in 1848, until the early twentieth century, Luxembourgish politics was dominated by independent politicians and statesmen.[5] The prerogative powers of the grand duke remained undiluted, and, as such, the monarch actively chose and personally appointed the prime minister. As a result, the prime minister was often a moderate, without any strong affiliation to either of the two major ideological factions in the Chamber of Deputies: the secularist liberals and the Catholic conservatives.

In the early twentieth century, the emergence of socialism as a third force in Luxembourgish politics ended the dominance of independents, and further politicised the government of the country.[5] This did not affect the prime minister's position until 1915, when the long-serving Paul Eyschen died in office. His death created a struggle for power between the main factions, leading to the establishment of the formalised party system.[6]

Prime ministers from 1848 to 1890

Prime Minister
(birth–death) 		Portrait Term of office Monarchs
(Reign)
No. Start End
1 Gaspard-Théodore-Ignace de la Fontaine
(1787–1871) 		1 August 1848 6 December 1848 Willem II

(1840–1849)
First Prime Minister. Resigned following a Vote of no confidence.[7]
2 Jean-Jacques Madeleine Willmar
(1792–1866) 		6 December 1848 23 September 1853 Willem III

(1849–1890)
Dismissed by the Governor[8]
3 Charles-Mathias Simons
(1802–1874) 		1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8 		23 September 1853
23 September 1854
24 May 1856
2 June 1857
29 November 1857
12 November 1858
23 June 1859
15 July 1859 		23 September 1854
24 May 1856
2 June 1857
29 November 1857
12 November 1858
23 June 1859
15 July 1859
26 September 1860
Coup of 1856. President of the Council until November 1857;
thereafter President of the Government. Resigned.[9]
4 Victor, Baron de Tornaco
(1805–1875) 		1
2
3
4
5
6
7 		26 September 1860
9 September 1863
31 March 1864
26 January 1866
3 December 1866
14 December 1866
18 June 1867 		9 September 1863
31 March 1864
26 January 1866
3 December 1866
14 December 1866
18 June 1867
3 December 1867
Shortest cabinet, December 1866. Luxembourg Crisis; Treaty of London.
Resigned following a Vote of no confidence.[10]
5 Lambert Joseph Emmanuel Servais
(1811–1890) 		1
2
3
4
5 		3 December 1867
30 September 1869
12 October 1869
7 February 1870
25 May 1873 		30 September 1869
12 October 1869
7 February 1870
25 May 1873
26 December 1874
Resigned.[11]
6 Félix, Baron de Blochausen
(1834–1915) 		1
2
3
4
5
6 		26 December 1874
26 April 1875
8 July 1876
6 August 1878
21 September 1882
12 October 1882 		26 April 1875
8 July 1876
6 August 1878
21 September 1882
12 October 1882
20 February 1885
Dismissed by the Grand Duke.[12]
7 Jules Georges Édouard Thilges
(1817–1904) 		20 February 1885 22 September 1888
Resigned.[13]

The Kingdom of the Netherlands shared the same monarchs with the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg from 1815 to 1890. The Grand Duchy has had its own monarchs since 1890.

Prime ministers from 1890 to 1918

Prime Minister
(birth–death) 		Portrait Term of office Monarchs
(Reign)
No. Start End
8 Paul Eyschen
(1841–1915) 		1
2
3
4
5
6 		22 September 1888
26 October 1892
23 June 1896
25 October 1905
9 January 1910
3 March 1915 		26 October 1892
23 June 1896
25 October 1905
9 January 1910
3 March 1915
11 October 1915 		Adolphe

(1890–1905)
Guillaume IV

(1905–1912)
Longest premiership. Longest cabinet 1896–1905.
Luxembourg occupied by Germany on 2 August 1914. Died in office.[6]
9 Mathias Mongenast
(1843–1926) 		12 October 1915 6 November 1915 Marie-Adélaïde

(1912–1919)
Shortest premiership. Ruled as President of the Council. Resigned.[4]
10 Hubert Loutsch
(1878–1946) 		6 November 1915 24 February 1916
Minority government.[14] Resigned following a Vote of no confidence.[14]
11 Victor Thorn
(1844–1930) 		24 February 1916 19 June 1917
National Union Government. Resigned.[15]
12 Léon Kauffman
(1869–1952) 		19 June 1917 28 September 1918
Resigned.[16]
Léon KauffmanVictor ThornHubert LoutschMathias MongenastPaul EyschenÉdouard ThilgesFélix de BlochausenEmmanuel ServaisVictor de TornacoCharles-Mathias SimonsJean-Jacques WillmarGaspard-Théodore-Ignace de la Fontaine

Party system (1918–present)

In 1918, towards the end of World War I, a new Chamber of Deputies was elected with the explicit ambition of reviewing the constitution.[16] To this end, formalised parties were formed by the main political blocs, so as to increase their bargaining power in the negotiations. The revisions to the constitution introduced universal suffrage and compulsory voting, adopted proportional representation, and limited the sovereignty of the monarch.

Since the foundation of the party system, only one cabinet (between 1921 and 1925) has not included members of more than one party. Most of the time, governments are grand coalitions of the two largest parties, no matter their ideology; this has made Luxembourg one of the most stable democracies in the world.[17] Two cabinets (between 1945 and 1947) included members of every party represented in the Chamber of Deputies.

During the occupation of Luxembourg by Nazi Germany in World War II, Luxembourg was governed by a Nazi Party official, Gustav Simon. Pierre Dupong continued to lead the government in exile in the United Kingdom until the liberation of Luxembourg in December 1944, whereupon the constitutional Luxembourg government returned to the Grand Duchy. Thus, although Luxembourg was formally annexed on 30 August 1942, the prime minister of the government in exile, Pierre Dupong, is assumed to have remained prime minister throughout.

Prime ministers since 1918

Political Party:   PD   PNI   CSV   DP

# Prime Minister
(birth–death) 		Portrait Political party Term of office Government Coalition Monarchs
(Reign)
Election Start End
13 Émile Reuter
(1874–1973) 		  PD —
1919
1922 		28 September 1918
5 January 1920
15 April 1921 		5 January 1920
15 April 1921
20 March 1925 		Reuter PD, LL
PD, LL
PD 		Marie-Adélaïde
1912-1919
Charlotte

(1919–1964)
First partisan government. Armistice; Constitution amended.[16] Only one-party cabinet 1921–1925. Resigned.[18]
14 Pierre Prüm
(1886–1950) 		  PNI 1925 20 March 1925 16 July 1926 Prüm PNI, PRS
Only PNI premiership. Resigned.[19]
15 Joseph Bech
(1887–1975)
(1st time) 		  PD 1928, 1931
1934
1937 		16 July 1926
11 April 1932
27 December 1936 		11 April 1932
27 December 1936
5 November 1937 		Bech PD, LdG
PD, PRL
PD, PRL
Longest party-era cabinet 1926–1932. Resigned.[20]
16 Pierre Dupong
(1885–1953) 		  PD —
—
— 		5 November 1937
7 February 1938
6 April 1940 		7 February 1938
6 April 1940
10 May 1940 		Dupong-Krier PD, POL, PRL
PD, POL
PD, POL
— 10 May 1940 23 November 1944 Govt. in Exile PD, POL
  CSV —
—
— 		23 November 1944
23 February 1945
21 April 1945 		23 February 1945
21 April 1945
14 November 1945 		Liberation CSV, LSAP
1945
— 		14 November 1945
29 August 1946 		29 August 1946
1 March 1947 		National Union CSV, LSAP, GD, KPL
—
1948 		1 March 1947
14 July 1948 		14 July 1948
3 July 1951 		Dupong-Schaus CSV, GD
1951 3 July 1951 23 December 1953 Dupong-Bodson CSV, LSAP
World War II; Luxembourg remained neutral.[21] Emergency government; Nazi occupation; government in exile.

Liberation Governments;[22] neutrality ended.[23] National Union Governments.[24] Died in office.[25]

17 Joseph Bech
(1887–1975)
(2nd time) 		  CSV —
1954 		29 December 1953
29 June 1954 		29 June 1954
29 March 1958 		Bech-Bodson CSV, LSAP
Resigned.[26]
18 Pierre Frieden
(1892–1959) 		  CSV 1959 29 March 1958 23 February 1959 Frieden CSV, LSAP
Won 1959 election; died in office.[27]
19 Pierre Werner
(1913–2002)
(1st time) 		  CSV — 2 March 1959 15 July 1964 Werner-Schaus I CSV, DP
1964
— 		15 July 1964
3 January 1967 		3 January 1967
6 February 1969 		Werner-Cravatte CSV, LSAP Jean

(1964–2000)
1968
—
— 		6 February 1969
5 July 1971
19 September 1972 		5 July 1971
19 September 1972
15 June 1974 		Werner-Schaus II CSV, DP
Longest party-era premiership. Went into opposition following 1974 election.[28]
20 Gaston Egmond Thorn
(1928–2007) 		  DP 1974
—
— 		15 June 1974
21 July 1976
16 September 1977 		21 July 1976
16 September 1977
16 July 1979 		Thorn DP, LSAP
First DP premiership. Became Deputy Prime Minister under Werner when CSV returned to government following 1979 election.[29]
21 Pierre Werner
(1913–2002)
(2nd time) 		  CSV 1979
— 		16 July 1979
3 March 1980 		3 March 1980
22 November 1980 		Werner-Thorn CSV, DP
—
— 		22 November 1980
21 December 1982 		21 December 1982
20 July 1984 		Werner-Flesch
Retired at 1984 election.[30]
22 Jacques Santer
(born 1937) 		  CSV 1984 20 July 1984 14 July 1989 Santer-Poos I CSV, LSAP
1989
— 		14 July 1989
9 December 1992 		9 December 1992
13 July 1994 		Santer-Poos II
1994 13 July 1994 26 January 1995 Santer-Poos III
President of the Government until 1989; Prime Minister from 1989. Appointed EC President.[31]
23 Jean-Claude Juncker
(born 1954) 		  CSV —
— 		26 January 1995
4 February 1998 		4 February 1998
7 August 1999 		Juncker-Poos CSV, LSAP
1999 7 August 1999 31 July 2004 Juncker-Polfer CSV, DP Henri

(2000–present)
2004 31 July 2004 23 July 2009 Juncker-Asselborn I CSV, LSAP
2009 23 July 2009 4 December 2013 Juncker-Asselborn II
Longest uninterrupted party-era premiership. Also President of the Eurogroup. Appointed EC President.
24 Xavier Bettel
(born 1973) 		  DP 2013 4 December 2013 5 December 2018 Bettel I DP, LSAP, DG
2018 5 December 2018 17 November 2023 Bettel II
25 Luc Frieden
(born 1963) 		  CSV 2023 17 November 2023 Incumbent Frieden-Bettel CSV, DP

Timeline

Luc FriedenXavier BettelJean-Claude JunkerJacques SanterGaston Egmond ThornPierre WernerPierre FriedenPierre DupongJoseph BechPierre PrümÉmile ReuterLéon KauffmanVictor ThornHubert LoutschMathias MongenastPaul EyschenÉdouard ThilgesFélix de BlochausenEmmanuel ServaisVictor de TornacoCharles-Mathias SimonsJean-Jacques WillmarGaspard-Théodore-Ignace de la Fontaine

See also

References

Specific
  1. ^ "IG.com Pay Check". IG. Archived from the original on 25 April 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  2. ^ Thewes (2003), p. 209
  3. ^ Thewes (2003), p. 21
  4. ^ a b Thewes (2003), p. 65
  5. ^ a b Thewes (2003), p. 8
  6. ^ a b Thewes (2003), p. 64
  7. ^ Thewes (2003), p. 16
  8. ^ Thewes (2003), p. 20
  9. ^ Thewes (2003), p. 28
  10. ^ Thewes (2003), p. 34
  11. ^ Thewes (2003), p. 42
  12. ^ Thewes (2003), p. 48
  13. ^ Thewes (2003), p. 52
  14. ^ a b Thewes (2003), p. 66
  15. ^ Thewes (2003), p. 69
  16. ^ a b c Thewes (2003), p. 76
  17. ^ Weston, Steve (2 March 2003). "Luxembourg Country Commercial Guide FY 2003: Political Environment". Retrieved 28 June 2006. [dead link‍]
  18. ^ Thewes (2003), p. 88
  19. ^ Thewes (2003), p. 90
  20. ^ Thewes (2003), p. 104
  21. ^ Thewes (2003), p. 107
  22. ^ Thewes (2003), p. 115
  23. ^ Thewes (2003), p. 118
  24. ^ Thewes (2003), p. 122
  25. ^ Thewes (2003), p. 140
  26. ^ Thewes (2003), p. 148
  27. ^ Thewes (2003), p. 151
  28. ^ Thewes (2003), p. 182
  29. ^ Thewes (2003), p. 192
  30. ^ Thewes (2003), p. 204
  31. ^ Thewes (2003), p. 222
Bibliography

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