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Democratic Party (Luxembourg)
Encyclopedia
The Democratic Party abbreviated to DP, is the major liberal
political party
in Luxembourg
. One of the three major parties, the DP sits on the centre-right
, holding moderate market liberal
views combined with a strong emphasis on civil liberties
, human rights
, and internationalism
.
Founded in 1955, the party is led by Claude Meisch
. It is the third-largest party in the Chamber of Deputies
, with nine seats out of sixty, having won 15% of the vote at the last election
, and has one seat in the European Parliament
out of six. The party's stronghold is around Luxembourg City; it has provided the city's mayor, currently Paul Helminger
, since 1970.
The party has often played the minor coalition partner to the Christian Social People's Party
(CSV). In Gaston Thorn
, the DP provided the only Prime Minister since 1945 not from the CSV (1974–79). The party is a member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
and Liberal International
. The party has been one of the most influential liberal parties in Europe, due to its strength, its regular involvement in government, its role in international institutions, and Thorn's leadership.
in 1904, it was founded in its current form on 24 April 1955. It was the successor to the Democratic Group, which had grown out of the major group of war-time liberal resistance fighters, the Patriotic and Democratic Group. The DP spent the majority of the 1950s and 1960s, under the leadership of Lucien Dury
and then Gaston Thorn
, establishing itself as the third major party, ahead of the Communist Party
.
At the time of its foundation, the party had six seats in the Chamber of Deputies. At the following election
, in 1959, the DP won 11 seats, allowing it to serve as a minor role in a grand coalition
with the CSV and Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party
(LSAP). However, in 1964
, the party went back to six seats. In 1968, the DP absorbed the anti-establishment Popular Independent Movement
. In that year's election
, the party benefited from a tide of moderates shifting from an increasingly radical LSAP, returned to 11 seats, and consequently entered into government with the CSV under Prime Minister Pierre Werner.
The DP remained in coalition with the CSV until 1974, when it experienced a surge in support
, to 22.2% of the vote and 14 seats. This political upset gave it the opportunity to enter into coalition negotiations with the second-placed LSAP. Surprisingly, in the negotiations, the DP got the upper hand, securing the most ministerial positions and departments, as well as the premiership itself under Gaston Thorn
.
The formation of Thorn's government, however, coincided with the beginning of an economic crisis, and the government was occupied mostly with the restructuring of the steel industry whilst attempting to avoid mass unemployment
.
Despite this, the coalition managed to push through major reforms of social policy, including abolishing capital punishment
(1974), allowing no-fault divorce
(1975) and broadening at-fault divorce (1978), and legalising abortion
(1978). In 1977, the government abandoned plans to build a nuclear power plant
at Remerschen
, of which the DP had been the primary advocate. When PM, in 1975, Thorn sat as President of the United Nations General Assembly
.
, Thorn went head-to-head with Werner, with the LSAP serving a supporting role to the DP. Both the CSV ended victorious, gaining six seats, and the LSAP's loss of three seats made it impossible for the DP to renew the coalition with them. As a result, Werner formed a coalition with the DP, with Thorn as Deputy Prime Minister. In the first European election
, the DP won 2 seats: an achievement that it hasn't matched since. In 1980, Thorn was named the new President of the European Commission
, and was replaced by Colette Flesch
.
The 1984 election
saw the DP's first electoral setback in twenty years. The DP lost one seat, standing on 14, whilst the resurgence of the LSAP meant it overtook the Democratic Party once again. The LSAP formed a coalition with the CSV, with Jacques Poos
serving as Deputy Prime Minister to Jacques Santer. This was renewed twice again, and the DP remained out of government until 1999.
After the 1999 election
, the party became the second-largest party, in the Chamber of Deputies once again, with 15 seats. It also overtook the LSAP in vote share for the first time ever. This allowed it to displace the LSAP as the CSV's coalition partner, with Lydie Polfer
as Deputy PM. As a result of the 2004 election
, the DP lost 5 seats, bringing its total down to 10. The party also lost its place as the coalition partner back to the LSAP, and has remained in opposition since.
of the political spectrum in Luxembourg. Since the late 1960s, thanks to the secularisation of Luxembourg and the CSV, the party has moved gradually towards the centre, to allow it to form coalitions with either the CSV or LSAP. Now, it could be seen to be to the left of the CSV, in the centre
, and with more in common with the British Liberal Democrats
or German Free Democratic Party
than with liberal parties in Belgium or the Netherlands. However, the CSV usually prefers forming coalitions with the LSAP to those with the DP, pushing the DP to the economically liberal right.
In economic policies, the DP is a strong supporter of private property
rights, free trade
, and the free market
, although under Thorn's government, the DP greatly increased public sector employment. Taxation plays a major role in the party platform, but it has never held the office of Minister for Finances. It is also a supporter of agriculture, particularly the wine industry. It long advocated the advancement of nuclear power
, but scrapped plans to build a plant at Remerschen
, and now supports renewable
alternatives, although not opposing nuclear power in principle. Indicating its priorities, when in government, the DP has usually or always controlled ministries in charge of Transport, Public Works, the Middle Class, the Civil Service, and Energy.
The DP is the most outspoken party in support of civil liberties. Between 1974 and 1979, it legalised abortion and divorce, and abolished the death penalty. It also focuses its attention on the issues of minority groups, particularly migrant groups, but also homosexuals
and single mothers. Unlike the Catholic CSV, the DP is notably anti-clerical
, which gives it more importance than its electoral performances would suggest.
The DP has led the CSV and LSAP in becoming more internationalist
in outlook, focusing on the European Union
, environmentalism
, and advocacy of human rights abroad. It is the most vocal supporter of European integration
, even in a particularly pro-EU country. The party puts great emphasis on the role of the United Nations, and Thorn served as President of the UN General Assembly
. The party is centrist on national security
, supporting membership of NATO, but having worked to end conscription
.
, and consequently has a very distinctive class profile. When in government, the DP has always held the office of Minister for the Middle Class. Most DP supporters are civil servants, white-collar worker
s, self-employed people, and those on high incomes. This group has been fast-growing, further focusing the party's electoral socio-economic appeal.
The party's most successful areas electorally are Luxembourg City and its wealthy suburbs, where those groups are concentrated. The Mayor of Luxembourg City has come from the DP since 1970, and the party and its liberal predecessors have been out of the office for only seven years since the foundation of the Liberal League
in 1904. The city lies in the Centre
constituency, where the DP challenges the CSV for the most seats. However, the party also has some traditional following in Est
and the Nord
, consistently coming second in each.
The party has notably more support amongst young people, whilst the CSV, LSAP, and (recently) the ADR
tend to receive the votes of older people. Unlike the CSV and LSAP, the DP isn't affiliated to a major trade union
. The party is particularly popular amongst male voters. Despite its anti-clericalism, DP voters are no less religiously affiliated than the general population.
at each election. Timelines showing the number of seats and percentage of votes won are on the right.
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
. One of the three major parties, the DP sits on the centre-right
Centre-right
The centre-right or center-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties, or organizations whose views stretch from the centre to the right on the left-right spectrum, excluding far right stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition of centrist...
, holding moderate market liberal
Market liberalism
The term market liberalism is used in two distinct meanings.Especially in the United States, the term is often used as a synonym to classical liberalism...
views combined with a strong emphasis on civil liberties
Civil liberties
Civil liberties are rights and freedoms that provide an individual specific rights such as the freedom from slavery and forced labour, freedom from torture and death, the right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, the right to defend one's self, the right to own and bear arms, the right...
, human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, and internationalism
Internationalism (politics)
Internationalism is a political movement which advocates a greater economic and political cooperation among nations for the theoretical benefit of all...
.
Founded in 1955, the party is led by Claude Meisch
Claude Meisch
Claude Meisch is a Luxembourgian politician and economist. Meisch has been a member of the Chamber of Deputies since 1999 and Mayor of Differdange since 2002...
. It is the third-largest party in the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg
The Chamber of Deputies , abbreviated to the Chamber, is the unicameral national legislature of Luxembourg. 'Krautmaart' is sometimes used as a metonym for the Chamber, after the square on which the Hôtel de la Chambre is located....
, with nine seats out of sixty, having won 15% of the vote at the last election
Luxembourgian legislative election, 2009
Legislative elections were held in Luxembourg on 7 June 2009, together with the 2009 election to the European Parliament. All sixty members of the Chamber of Deputies were elected for five years...
, and has one seat in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
out of six. The party's stronghold is around Luxembourg City; it has provided the city's mayor, currently Paul Helminger
Paul Helminger
Paul Helminger is a Luxembourg politician who was Mayor of Luxembourg City from 1999 to November 2011...
, since 1970.
The party has often played the minor coalition partner to the Christian Social People's Party
Christian Social People's Party
The Christian Social People's Party , abbreviated to CSV or PCS, is the largest political party in Luxembourg. The party follows a Christian Democratic and conservative ideology and, like most parties in Luxembourg, it is strongly pro-European...
(CSV). In Gaston Thorn
Gaston Thorn
Gaston Egmond Thorn was a Luxembourg politician who served in a number of high-profile positions, both domestically and internationally...
, the DP provided the only Prime Minister since 1945 not from the CSV (1974–79). The party is a member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe...
and Liberal International
Liberal International
Liberal International is a political international federation for liberal parties. Its headquarters is located at 1 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2HD within the National Liberal Club. It was founded in Oxford in 1947, and has become the pre-eminent network for liberal parties and for the...
. The party has been one of the most influential liberal parties in Europe, due to its strength, its regular involvement in government, its role in international institutions, and Thorn's leadership.
Emergence as major party
Although the party traces its history back to the foundation of the Liberal LeagueLiberal League (Luxembourg)
The Liberal League was a political party in Luxembourg between 1904 and 1925. It was the indirect predecessor of the Democratic Party , which has been one of the three major parties in Luxembourg since the Second World War....
in 1904, it was founded in its current form on 24 April 1955. It was the successor to the Democratic Group, which had grown out of the major group of war-time liberal resistance fighters, the Patriotic and Democratic Group. The DP spent the majority of the 1950s and 1960s, under the leadership of Lucien Dury
Lucien Dury
Lucien Dury was a Luxembourgian politician, journalist, and resistance leader. He was one of the founders of the Patriotic and Democratic Group, which later became the Democratic Party, of which he was the first President. He later served as the President of the DP again, from 1959 until 1962. ...
and then Gaston Thorn
Gaston Thorn
Gaston Egmond Thorn was a Luxembourg politician who served in a number of high-profile positions, both domestically and internationally...
, establishing itself as the third major party, ahead of the Communist Party
Communist Party of Luxembourg
The Communist Party of Luxembourg , abbreviated to KPL or PCL, is a communist political party in Luxembourg.Ali Ruckert is the current chairman of the party.- History :...
.
At the time of its foundation, the party had six seats in the Chamber of Deputies. At the following election
Luxembourgian legislative election, 1959
Legislative elections were held in Luxembourg on 1 February 1959. Voters elected all 52 members of the Grand Duchy's unicameral national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies.-Results:...
, in 1959, the DP won 11 seats, allowing it to serve as a minor role in a grand coalition
Grand coalition
A grand coalition is an arrangement in a multi-party parliamentary system in which the two largest political parties of opposing political ideologies unite in a coalition government...
with the CSV and Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party
Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party
The Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party , abbreviated to LSAP or POSL, 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...
(LSAP). However, in 1964
Luxembourgian legislative election, 1964
Legislative elections were held in Luxembourg on 7 June 1964. Voters elected all 56 members of the Grand Duchy's unicameral national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies.-Results:...
, the party went back to six seats. In 1968, the DP absorbed the anti-establishment Popular Independent Movement
Popular Independent Movement
The Popular Independent Movement , abbreviated to MIP, was a Luxembourgian single-issue political party in the 1960s. It sought to represent the interests of the 12,000 people that had been conscripted into the Wehrmacht during the German occupation of Luxembourg during the Second World War.The...
. In that year's election
Luxembourgian legislative election, 1968
Legislative elections were held in Luxembourg on 15 December 1968. Voters elected all 56 members of the Grand Duchy's unicameral national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies.-Results:...
, the party benefited from a tide of moderates shifting from an increasingly radical LSAP, returned to 11 seats, and consequently entered into government with the CSV under Prime Minister Pierre Werner.
Government
Luxembourgian legislative election, 1974
Legislative elections were held in Luxembourg on 26 May 1974. Voters elected all 59 members of the Grand Duchy's unicameral national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies.-Results:...
, to 22.2% of the vote and 14 seats. This political upset gave it the opportunity to enter into coalition negotiations with the second-placed LSAP. Surprisingly, in the negotiations, the DP got the upper hand, securing the most ministerial positions and departments, as well as the premiership itself under Gaston Thorn
Gaston Thorn
Gaston Egmond Thorn was a Luxembourg politician who served in a number of high-profile positions, both domestically and internationally...
.
The formation of Thorn's government, however, coincided with the beginning of an economic crisis, and the government was occupied mostly with the restructuring of the steel industry whilst attempting to avoid mass unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
.
Despite this, the coalition managed to push through major reforms of social policy, including abolishing capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
(1974), allowing no-fault divorce
No-fault divorce
No-fault divorce is a divorce in which the dissolution of a marriage requires neither a showing of wrong-doing of either party nor any evidentiary proceedings at all...
(1975) and broadening at-fault divorce (1978), and legalising abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
(1978). In 1977, the government abandoned plans to build a nuclear power plant
Nuclear power plant
A nuclear power plant is a thermal power station in which the heat source is one or more nuclear reactors. As in a conventional thermal power station the heat is used to generate steam which drives a steam turbine connected to a generator which produces electricity.Nuclear power plants are usually...
at Remerschen
Remerschen
Remerschen is a former commune and small wine-growing town in south-eastern Luxembourg, belonging to the commune of Schengen, near the point where the borders of Germany, France and Luxembourg come together....
, of which the DP had been the primary advocate. When PM, in 1975, Thorn sat as President of the United Nations General Assembly
President of the United Nations General Assembly
The President of the United Nations General Assembly is a position voted for by representatives in the United Nations General Assembly on a yearly basis.- Election :...
.
Since 1979
In 1979Luxembourgian legislative election, 1979
Legislative elections were held in Luxembourg on 10 June 1979. Voters elected all 57 members of the Grand Duchy's unicameral national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies.-Results:...
, Thorn went head-to-head with Werner, with the LSAP serving a supporting role to the DP. Both the CSV ended victorious, gaining six seats, and the LSAP's loss of three seats made it impossible for the DP to renew the coalition with them. As a result, Werner formed a coalition with the DP, with Thorn as Deputy Prime Minister. In the first European election
European Parliament election, 1979 (Luxembourg)
The European Parliament election of 1979 in Luxembourg was the election of the delegation from Luxembourg to the European Parliament on 10 June 1979. It was held on the same day as the legislative elections, which elected members to Luxembourg's Chamber of Deputies.-Results:...
, the DP won 2 seats: an achievement that it hasn't matched since. In 1980, Thorn was named the new President of the European Commission
President of the European Commission
The President of the European Commission is the head of the European Commission ― the executive branch of the :European Union ― the most powerful officeholder in the EU. The President is responsible for allocating portfolios to members of the Commission and can reshuffle or dismiss them if needed...
, and was replaced by Colette Flesch
Colette Flesch
Colette Flesch is a Luxembourgian politician and former fencer.As a fencer she participated in the Individual foil events at the 1960, 1964 and 1968 Summer Olympics....
.
The 1984 election
Luxembourgian legislative election, 1984
Legislative elections were held in Luxembourg on 17 June 1984. Voters elected all 64 members of the Grand Duchy's unicameral national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies.-Results:...
saw the DP's first electoral setback in twenty years. The DP lost one seat, standing on 14, whilst the resurgence of the LSAP meant it overtook the Democratic Party once again. The LSAP formed a coalition with the CSV, with Jacques Poos
Jacques Poos
Jacques Poos is a Luxembourgian politician.Born in 1953 in Luxembourg Dr. Jacques F. Poos is a trained economist and became a doctor of economics in 1961, when he graduated from the University of Lausanne. He is a long-time member of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party...
serving as Deputy Prime Minister to Jacques Santer. This was renewed twice again, and the DP remained out of government until 1999.
After the 1999 election
Luxembourgian legislative election, 1999
Legislative elections were held in Luxembourg on June 13, 1999. Voters elected 60 members of the Grand Duchy's unicameral legislature, the Chamber of Deputies.The election coincided with the 1999 European Parliament election.-Candidates:-Overall results:...
, the party became the second-largest party, in the Chamber of Deputies once again, with 15 seats. It also overtook the LSAP in vote share for the first time ever. This allowed it to displace the LSAP as the CSV's coalition partner, with Lydie Polfer
Lydie Polfer
Lydie Polfer is a Luxembourgian politician that has served in a number of capacities, including Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Mayor of Luxembourg City, as well as a Member of the European Parliament and a member of the Chamber of Deputies...
as Deputy PM. As a result of the 2004 election
Luxembourgian legislative election, 2004
Legislative elections were held in Luxembourg on 13 June 2004. Voters elected all 60 members of the Grand Duchy's unicameral legislature, the Chamber of Deputies...
, the DP lost 5 seats, bringing its total down to 10. The party also lost its place as the coalition partner back to the LSAP, and has remained in opposition since.
Ideology
The Democratic Party sits on the moderate centre-rightCentre-right
The centre-right or center-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties, or organizations whose views stretch from the centre to the right on the left-right spectrum, excluding far right stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition of centrist...
of the political spectrum in Luxembourg. Since the late 1960s, thanks to the secularisation of Luxembourg and the CSV, the party has moved gradually towards the centre, to allow it to form coalitions with either the CSV or LSAP. Now, it could be seen to be to the left of the CSV, in the centre
Centrism
In politics, centrism is the ideal or the practice of promoting policies that lie different from the standard political left and political right. Most commonly, this is visualized as part of the one-dimensional political spectrum of left-right politics, with centrism landing in the middle between...
, and with more in common with the British Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
or German Free Democratic Party
Free Democratic Party (Germany)
The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
than with liberal parties in Belgium or the Netherlands. However, the CSV usually prefers forming coalitions with the LSAP to those with the DP, pushing the DP to the economically liberal right.
In economic policies, the DP is a strong supporter of private property
Private property
Private property is the right of persons and firms to obtain, own, control, employ, dispose of, and bequeath land, capital, and other forms of property. Private property is distinguishable from public property, which refers to assets owned by a state, community or government rather than by...
rights, free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
, and the free market
Free market
A free market is a competitive market where prices are determined by supply and demand. However, the term is also commonly used for markets in which economic intervention and regulation by the state is limited to tax collection, and enforcement of private ownership and contracts...
, although under Thorn's government, the DP greatly increased public sector employment. Taxation plays a major role in the party platform, but it has never held the office of Minister for Finances. It is also a supporter of agriculture, particularly the wine industry. It long advocated the advancement of nuclear power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
, but scrapped plans to build a plant at Remerschen
Remerschen
Remerschen is a former commune and small wine-growing town in south-eastern Luxembourg, belonging to the commune of Schengen, near the point where the borders of Germany, France and Luxembourg come together....
, and now supports renewable
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
alternatives, although not opposing nuclear power in principle. Indicating its priorities, when in government, the DP has usually or always controlled ministries in charge of Transport, Public Works, the Middle Class, the Civil Service, and Energy.
The DP is the most outspoken party in support of civil liberties. Between 1974 and 1979, it legalised abortion and divorce, and abolished the death penalty. It also focuses its attention on the issues of minority groups, particularly migrant groups, but also homosexuals
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
and single mothers. Unlike the Catholic CSV, the DP is notably anti-clerical
Anti-clericalism
Anti-clericalism is a historical movement that opposes religious institutional power and influence, real or alleged, in all aspects of public and political life, and the involvement of religion in the everyday life of the citizen...
, which gives it more importance than its electoral performances would suggest.
The DP has led the CSV and LSAP in becoming more internationalist
Internationalism (politics)
Internationalism is a political movement which advocates a greater economic and political cooperation among nations for the theoretical benefit of all...
in outlook, focusing on the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, environmentalism
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
, and advocacy of human rights abroad. It is the most vocal supporter of European integration
European integration
European integration is the process of industrial, political, legal, economic integration of states wholly or partially in Europe...
, even in a particularly pro-EU country. The party puts great emphasis on the role of the United Nations, and Thorn served as President of the UN General Assembly
President of the United Nations General Assembly
The President of the United Nations General Assembly is a position voted for by representatives in the United Nations General Assembly on a yearly basis.- Election :...
. The party is centrist on national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
, supporting membership of NATO, but having worked to end conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
.
Political support
The DP has been consistent in its advocacy of the middle classMiddle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
, and consequently has a very distinctive class profile. When in government, the DP has always held the office of Minister for the Middle Class. Most DP supporters are civil servants, white-collar worker
White-collar worker
The term white-collar worker refers to a person who performs professional, managerial, or administrative work, in contrast with a blue-collar worker, whose job requires manual labor...
s, self-employed people, and those on high incomes. This group has been fast-growing, further focusing the party's electoral socio-economic appeal.
The party's most successful areas electorally are Luxembourg City and its wealthy suburbs, where those groups are concentrated. The Mayor of Luxembourg City has come from the DP since 1970, and the party and its liberal predecessors have been out of the office for only seven years since the foundation of the Liberal League
Liberal League (Luxembourg)
The Liberal League was a political party in Luxembourg between 1904 and 1925. It was the indirect predecessor of the Democratic Party , which has been one of the three major parties in Luxembourg since the Second World War....
in 1904. The city lies in the Centre
Circonscription Centre (Luxembourg)
Circonscription Centre is an electoral constituency for Luxembourg's national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies.It includes the cantons of Luxembourg and Mersch, both of which are in the district of Luxembourg. , Centre has an estimated population of 151,166, or 33% of Luxembourg's total...
constituency, where the DP challenges the CSV for the most seats. However, the party also has some traditional following in Est
Circonscription Est (Luxembourg)
Circonscription Est is an electoral constituency for Luxembourg's national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies.It includes the cantons of Echternach, Grevenmacher, and Remich. Its boundaries are coterminous with those of the district of Grevenmacher...
and the Nord
Circonscription Nord (Luxembourg)
Circonscription Nord is an electoral constituency for Luxembourg's national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies.It includes the cantons of Clervaux, Diekirch, Redange, Vianden, and Wiltz. Its boundaries are coterminous with those of the district of Diekirch. , Nord has an estimated population of...
, consistently coming second in each.
The party has notably more support amongst young people, whilst the CSV, LSAP, and (recently) the ADR
Alternative Democratic Reform Party
The Alternative Democratic Reform Party , abbreviated to ADR, is a conservative political party in Luxembourg. It has four seats in the sixty-seat Chamber of Deputies, making it the fifth-largest party....
tend to receive the votes of older people. Unlike the CSV and LSAP, the DP isn't affiliated to a major trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
. The party is particularly popular amongst male voters. Despite its anti-clericalism, DP voters are no less religiously affiliated than the general population.
Election results
Below are charts of the results that the Democratic Party (and its post-war predecessors) has secured in the Chamber of DeputiesChamber of Deputies of Luxembourg
The Chamber of Deputies , abbreviated to the Chamber, is the unicameral national legislature of Luxembourg. 'Krautmaart' is sometimes used as a metonym for the Chamber, after the square on which the Hôtel de la Chambre is located....
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 Luxembourgian legislative election, 1945 Legislative elections were held in Luxembourg on 21 October 1945. Voters elected all 51 members of the Grand Duchy's unicameral national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies.... |
9 | 3rd | Yes | ||
| 1948 Luxembourgian legislative election, 1948 Legislative elections were held in Luxembourg on 6 June 1948. Voters elected all 51 members of the Grand Duchy's unicameral national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies.-Results:... |
9 | 3rd | Yes | ||
| 1951 Luxembourgian legislative election, 1951 Legislative elections were held in Luxembourg on 3 June 1951. Voters elected all 52 members of the Grand Duchy's unicameral national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies.-Results:... |
8 | 3rd | No | ||
| 1954 Luxembourgian legislative election, 1954 Legislative elections were held in Luxembourg on 30 May 1954. Voters elected all 52 members of the Grand Duchy's unicameral national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies.-Results:... |
10.8 | 3rd | 6 | 3rd | No |
| 1959 Luxembourgian legislative election, 1959 Legislative elections were held in Luxembourg on 1 February 1959. Voters elected all 52 members of the Grand Duchy's unicameral national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies.-Results:... |
18.5 | 3rd | 11 | 3rd | Yes |
| 1964 Luxembourgian legislative election, 1964 Legislative elections were held in Luxembourg on 7 June 1964. Voters elected all 56 members of the Grand Duchy's unicameral national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies.-Results:... |
10.6 | 4th | 6 | 3rd | No |
| 1968 Luxembourgian legislative election, 1968 Legislative elections were held in Luxembourg on 15 December 1968. Voters elected all 56 members of the Grand Duchy's unicameral national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies.-Results:... |
16.5 | 3rd | 11 | 3rd | Yes |
| 1974 Luxembourgian legislative election, 1974 Legislative elections were held in Luxembourg on 26 May 1974. Voters elected all 59 members of the Grand Duchy's unicameral national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies.-Results:... |
22.2 | 3rd | 14 | 3rd | Yes |
| 1979 Luxembourgian legislative election, 1979 Legislative elections were held in Luxembourg on 10 June 1979. Voters elected all 57 members of the Grand Duchy's unicameral national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies.-Results:... |
21.3 | 3rd | 15 | 2nd | Yes |
| 1984 Luxembourgian legislative election, 1984 Legislative elections were held in Luxembourg on 17 June 1984. Voters elected all 64 members of the Grand Duchy's unicameral national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies.-Results:... |
18.7 | 3rd | 14 | 3rd | No |
| 1989 Luxembourgian legislative election, 1989 Legislative elections were held in Luxembourg on 18 June 1989. Voters elected all 60 members of the Grand Duchy's unicameral national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies.-Results:... |
17.2 | 3rd | 11 | 3rd | No |
| 1994 Luxembourgian legislative election, 1994 Legislative elections were held in Luxembourg on June 12, 1994. Voters elected 60 members of the Grand Duchy's unicameral legislature, the Chamber of Deputies.The election coincided with the 1994 European Parliament election.-Candidates:-Overall results:... |
19.3 | 3rd | 12 | 3rd | No |
| 1999 Luxembourgian legislative election, 1999 Legislative elections were held in Luxembourg on June 13, 1999. Voters elected 60 members of the Grand Duchy's unicameral legislature, the Chamber of Deputies.The election coincided with the 1999 European Parliament election.-Candidates:-Overall results:... |
22.4 | 2nd | 15 | 2nd | Yes |
| 2004 Luxembourgian legislative election, 2004 Legislative elections were held in Luxembourg on 13 June 2004. Voters elected all 60 members of the Grand Duchy's unicameral legislature, the Chamber of Deputies... |
16.1 | 3rd | 10 | 3rd | No |
| 2009 Luxembourgian legislative election, 2009 Legislative elections were held in Luxembourg on 7 June 2009, together with the 2009 election to the European Parliament. All sixty members of the Chamber of Deputies were elected for five years... |
15.0 | 3rd | 9 | 3rd | No |
Presidents
The leader of the party is the President. Below is a list of Presidents of the Democratic Party, and its predecessors, since 1948.- Lucien DuryLucien DuryLucien Dury was a Luxembourgian politician, journalist, and resistance leader. He was one of the founders of the Patriotic and Democratic Group, which later became the Democratic Party, of which he was the first President. He later served as the President of the DP again, from 1959 until 1962. ...
(1948 – 1952) - Eugène SchausEugène SchausEugène Schaus was a Luxembourgian politician and jurist. Schaus was a leading light in the early days of the Democratic Party, of which he would be President from 1952 until 1959....
(1952 – 1959) - Lucien DuryLucien DuryLucien Dury was a Luxembourgian politician, journalist, and resistance leader. He was one of the founders of the Patriotic and Democratic Group, which later became the Democratic Party, of which he was the first President. He later served as the President of the DP again, from 1959 until 1962. ...
(1959 – 1962) - Gaston ThornGaston ThornGaston Egmond Thorn was a Luxembourg politician who served in a number of high-profile positions, both domestically and internationally...
(1962 – 1969) - René KonenRené KonenRené 'Boy' Konen was a Luxembourgian politician and government minister. He served as Minister for Public Works under Pierre Werner, between 1979 and 1984. Before this, he had been President of the Democratic Party, to which he belonged, and a member of the communal council of Luxembourg City...
(1969 – 1971) - Gaston ThornGaston ThornGaston Egmond Thorn was a Luxembourg politician who served in a number of high-profile positions, both domestically and internationally...
(1971 – 1980) - Colette FleschColette FleschColette Flesch is a Luxembourgian politician and former fencer.As a fencer she participated in the Individual foil events at the 1960, 1964 and 1968 Summer Olympics....
(1980 – 1989) - Charles GoerensCharles GoerensCharles Goerens is a politician from Luxembourg.He studied agricultural science before he was first elected to the northern district constituency as a member of the Democratic Party in 1979...
(1989 – 1994) - Lydie PolferLydie PolferLydie Polfer is a Luxembourgian politician that has served in a number of capacities, including Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Mayor of Luxembourg City, as well as a Member of the European Parliament and a member of the Chamber of Deputies...
(1994 – 2004) - Claude MeischClaude MeischClaude Meisch is a Luxembourgian politician and economist. Meisch has been a member of the Chamber of Deputies since 1999 and Mayor of Differdange since 2002...
(2004 – )