The voters of the commune directly elect the members of the Municipal Council every six years. Each municipality has a Municipal Council from which the College of Mayor and Aldermen, the executive body of the commune, generates.
The next municipal elections will take place on 11 June 2023.
Municipal council
The number of members of the Municipal Council is determined in accordance with the number of inhabitants of the municipality.
The Municipal Councils are composed as follows:
- 7 members in municipalities with a population of 999 or less;
- 9 members in municipalities with 1.000 to 2.999 inhabitants;
- 11 members in municipalities with 3.000 to 5.999 inhabitants;
- 13 members in municipalities with 6.000 to 9.999 inhabitants;
- 15 members in municipalities with 10.000 to 14.999 inhabitants;
- 17 members in municipalities with 15.000 to 19.999 inhabitants;
- 19 members in municipalities with 20.000 or more inhabitants.
The Municipal Council of the City of Luxembourg is composed of 27 members.
College of Mayor and Aldermen
The College of Mayor and Aldermen of each municipality is composed of one mayor and two aldermen.
However, the number of aldermen may be fixed, by Grand-Ducal decree, at:
- 3 aldermen in municipalities with 10.000 to 19.999 inhabitants;
- 4 aldermen in municipalities with 20.000 inhabitants or more;
- 6 aldermen in the City of Luxembourg.
The mayor and aldermen are appointed after being proposed by the majority of newly elected members of the Municipal Council. The Grand Duke appoints the mayors while the Minister for Home Affairs appoints the aldermen.
The mayors and aldermen take their oath of office before the Minister for Home Affairs. The mayor swears in the other members of the municipal council in their municipality.
In the event of notorious misconduct, negligence or serious offence, the mayor or alderman may be suspended or dismissed from office by the authority that appointed him to his office. In the event of unlawful conduct, he is liable for damage to the community.
Resignation
It is possible that a local counsellor wishes to resign before the end of his or her mandate. In this case, their resignation is given in writing to the Minister for Home Affairs. The Minister accepts the counsellor’s resignation. This approval is communicated to the concerned person by a simple letter and becomes effective three days after its signature.
The mayor of the concerned municipality informs the municipal council of the counsellor’s resignation at its next meeting.
The mayor or alderman who wishes to resign as a municipal counsellor must have previously obtained his resignation as mayor or alderman from the appointing authority. In the case of the mayors, the appointing authority is the Grand Duke, while the appointing authority for the aldermen is the Minister for Home Affairs.
Resigning mayors and aldermen exercise their functions until their successors have been sworn in.