Coalition agreement signed: Luc Frieden new prime minister
A good five weeks after the elections in Luxembourg, the new government under the leadership of future Prime Minister Luc Frieden is in place. His Christian Social People's Party (CSV) has concluded a coalition agreement with the Democratic Party (DP) that will strengthen Luxembourg for the future, Frieden said on Thursday after signing the agreement in Luxembourg. The new government in the EU's second smallest country is to be sworn in this Friday.
The previous Prime Minister Xavier Bettel (DP) will become Deputy Prime Minister and will join the new government as Foreign Minister. Bettel succeeds the Social Democrat Jean Asselborn, who was Foreign Minister of Luxembourg for a good 19 years. The new government will have 15 ministers instead of the previous 17. Of these, the CSV will have eight and the DP seven. The committees of both parties gave the green light for the new government alliance on Wednesday evening.
Frieden said that the two parties had agreed on a government program that would strengthen the economy, the climate and society as a whole thanks to shared objectives. He cited tax relief for citizens and the creation of more affordable housing as key points of the agreement. Renewable energies were to be expanded "massively" and bureaucracy reduced.
In the election on October 8, the three-party coalition of Liberals, Greens and Social Democrats led by the Liberal Bettel, which had been in power since the end of 2013, was voted out of office due to the Greens' heavy losses. The CSV emerged from the election as the strongest party, followed by the DP. The alliance has a majority of 35 of the 60 seats in parliament.
The coalition agreement between the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) and the Democratic Party (DP) will form the new government in Luxembourg, with Luc Frieden serving as prime minister. After the signing of this agreement, Xavier Bettel, the previous prime minister, will assume the roles of deputy prime minister and foreign minister.
Source: www.dpa.com
