The formation of the 2018 government

15 October: resignation of the outgoing government and nomination of an informateur.

On 15 October, the day following the legislative elections of 14 October 2018, the members of the outgoing government gathered for a final meeting of the Government Council.

After this session, the Prime Minister Xavier Bettel was welcomed in a hearing at the grand-ducal palace by HRH the Grand Duke. As is customary on the day following the legislative elections, the Prime Minister presented the resignation of the outgoing government to the head of state. HRH the Grand Duke asked the government to remain in office until a new government was formed, and assigned it the task of continuing to oversee any current affairs.

After the hearing with the Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, HRH the Grand Duke successively welcomed Mars di Bartolomeo, President of the Chamber of Deputies; Georges Wivenes, President of the Council of State; as well as the leaders of the political parties who presented a list in the four electoral constituencies, in a consultation hearing.  

After these hearings, HRH the Grand Duke appointed Martine Solovieff, State Public Prosecutor, as informateur for the formation of the new government.

16 October: appointment of a formateur

On 16 October, Martine Solovieff reported to HRH the Grand Duke on her interviews with the representatives of the main political parties. The Democratic Party (DP), the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP) and the Greens (déi gréng) expressed their wish to begin negotiations in order to form a coalition.

Following these conclusions, the HRH the Grand Duke invited Xavier Bettel to a hearing and appointed him formateur.

17 October: opening of coalition negotiations

On 17 October, the LSAP, DP and déi gréng delegations gathered to initiate the coalition negotiations under the presidency of the formateur Xavier Bettel. The first plenary meeting of the coalition negotiations was held on 17 October at the Hôtel des Terres rouges.

On this occasion, the delegation leaders confirmed that they had received the unanimous mandate of the governing bodies of their respective parties to enter these negotiations with the aim of forming the next government.

The first plenary meeting was essentially dedicated to setting the organisational framework of the negotiations. The negotiators agreed on the formation of 11 working groups:

1. public finances, tax system, development of the financial centre (as well as international implications and Brexit);
2. economy, employment, competitiveness, tourism, energy;
3. social, family, health, equal opportunities;
4. education, sport, youth, higher education and research, culture;
5. the State, institutions, administrative reform, civil service, data protection;
6. sustainable development, climate, resource protection, consumers, agriculture;
7. housing, municipalities;
8. international and cross-border policy, Europe, cooperation, defence, integration, immigration;
9. media, digital, digitalisation;
10. infrastructure, regional planning, mobility;
11. justice, interior security.

22 October: composition of the delegations of the 11 working groups

The formateur informed the public that the plenary meetings of the coalition negotiations would take place at the Ministry of Foreign and European affairs. The order of appearance of the representatives invited by the formateur was as follows:

23 October:

• State Treasury
• Inspectorate of Finance
• Registration Duties, Estates and VAT Authority
• Tax Directorate
• Customs and Excise Agency
• Luxembourg Inland Revenue
• National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies
• Inspectorate of Labour and Mines
• National Employment Agency (ADEM)
• Financial Centre matters: State Treasury, Luxembourg Financial Sector Supervisory Commission (Commission de surveillance du secteur financier, CSSF), Supervisory Authority for the Insurance Sector

25 October:

• General Inspectorate of Social Security
• National Health Fund
• National Pension Insurance Fund
• Water Management Agency
• Environment Agency
• Union of Luxembourg Businesses
• The Independent Luxembourg Trade Union Confederation (Onofhängege Gewerkschaftsbond Lëtzebuerg, OGBL), Luxembourg Confederation of Christian Trade Unions (Lëtzebuerger Chrëschtleche Gewerkschaftsbond, LCGB), General Confederation of the Civil Service (Confédération générale de la Fonction publique, CGFP)

26 October:

• Permanent Representative of Luxembourg to the EU

14 November:

• Luxembourg Central Bank
• National Economic and Financial Committee

Further meetings took place on 16, 21, 22, 23, 28 and 29 November.

29 November: Inventory of the negotiations

On 29 November, during a press conference, the formateur Xavier Bettel and the heads of delegation of the DP, Corinne Cahen; the LSAP, Étienne Schneider; and déi gréng, Félix Braz, presented an inventory of the negotiations in view of the formation of the government.

The parties engaged in the negotiations for the formation of the new government agreed on the distribution of the following portfolios:

3 December: signing of the coalition agreement

On 3 December, following the last plenary meeting, the formateur Xavier Bettel and the delegation heads Corinne Cahen, Étienne Schneider and Félix Braz signed the coalition agreement between the three parties during a press briefing.

4 December: agreement between the three parties

On 4 December, the coalition agreement and the distribution of the ministerial portfolios were approved by the bodies of the DP, the LSAP and déi gréng.

5 December: swearing in of the new government

On 5 December 2018, HRH the Grand Duke swore in the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Ministers and the appointed ministers. At the beginning of the ceremony, the head of state signed the grand-ducal decrees on the formation of the new government. The Prime Minister, followed by the other members of the government in order of precedence, then took the oath, as stated in article 110 of the constitution: "I swear allegiance to the Grand Duke and obedience to the Constitution and the laws of the State. I promise to fulfil my tasks with precision and impartiality." (translated from French)

The members of the government in order of precedence

11 December: Government declaration

On 11 December 2018, Xavier Bettel, Prime Minister, Minister of State, presented the government declaration to Parliament. Debates on the government declaration took place in Parliament on 12 December 2018.

11 October 2019: Reshuffle of the Government

Félix Braz resigns from the Government due to health reasons. Henri Kox joins the Government. He is appointed Minister for Housing, Minister Delegate of Defence and Minister Delegate of Internal Security. François Bausch, Minister of Defence, Minister for Mobility and Public Works and Minister of Internal Security was appointed Deputy Prime Minister while keeping his other ministerial portfolios. Sam Tanson is appointed Minister of Justice while keeping  her Culture portfolio.

4 February 2020: Reshuffle of the Government

Étienne Schneider resigns from the Government. Franz Fayot joins the Government. He is appointed Minister of the Economy and Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs. Dan Kersch is appointed Deputy Prime Minister while keeping his other ministerial portfolios. Paulette Lenert is appointed Minister of Health and Minister Delegate of Social Security while keeping  her Consumer Protection portfolio.

23 July 2020: Reshuffle of the Government

The ministerial portfolios of Defence and Internal Security will be distributed as follows: François Bausch, Deputy Prime Minister, will keep the portfolios of Mobility and Public Works and that of Defence, and Henri Kox will take full responsibility for Internal Security, alongside Housing.

5 January 2022: Reshuffle of the Government

Dan Kersch, Romain Schneider and Pierre Gramegna resign from the Government. Claude Haagen. Georges Engel and Yuriko Backes join the Government. Claude Haagen is appointed Minister of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development and Minister of Social Security. Georges Engel is appointed Minister of Sport and Minister of Labour, Employment and the Social and Solidarity Economy. Yuriko Backes is appointed Minister of Finance. Paulette Lenert is appointed Deputy Prime Minister, keeping her ministerial portfolios of Minister for Consumer Protection, Minister of Health and Minister Delegate of Social Security.

22 April 2022: Reshuffle of the Government

Carole Dieschbourg resigns from the government at her own request. The ministerial responsibilities of the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development are temporarily assigned to Claude Turmes.

29 April 2022: Reshuffle of the Government

Joëlle Welfring joins the government. She is appointed Minister for the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development.

15 June 2023: Reshuffle of the Government

Corinne Cahen resigns from the government at her own request. The ministerial responsibilities of the Minister for Family Affairs and Integration and of the Minister for the Greater Region are assigned to Max Hahn.

News and reference documents

• Reshuffle of the Government on 2 May 2022
• Change of power from Dan Kersch to Georges Engel –Labour, Employment and the Social and Solidarity Economy (in French)
• Change of power from Dan Kersch to Georges Engel – Sport (in French)
• Change of power from Pierre Gramegna to Yuriko Backes (in French)
• Change of power from Romain Schneider to Claude Haagen - Social Security (in French)
• Change of power from Romain Schneider to Claude Haagen – Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development  (in French)
• Reshuffle of the Government on 5. January 2022 (in French)
• Change of power from Paulette Lenert to Franz Fayot (In French)
  
• Change of power from Étienne Schneider to Franz Fayot (In French)
• Change of power from Étienne Schneider to Paulette Lenert (In French)
• Reshuffle of the Government on 4 February 2020
• Reshuffle of the Government on 11 October 2019 (In French)
• The government declaration in the Parliament (in Luxembourgish)
• Change of power from Fernand Etgen to Romain Schneider and Paulette Lenert (In French)
  
• Change of power from Lydia Mutsch to Étienne Schneider (In French)
  
• Change of power from François Bausch to Claude Turmes (In French)
  
• Change of power from Nicolas Schmit to Dan Kersch (In French)
  
• Change of power from Étienne Schneider to François Bausch, Lex Delles and Claude Turmes (In French)
  
• Change of power from Marc Hansen to Sam Tanson (In French)
• Change of power from Dan Kersch to Taina Bofferding (In French)
• Change of power from Romain Schneider to Paulette Lenert (In French)
• Change of power from Xavier Bettel and Guy Arendt to Sam Tanason (In French)
• Change of power from Dan Kersch to Marc Hansen (In French)
• Change of power from Romain Schneider to Dan Kersch (In French)
  
• Change of power from Lydia Mutsch to Taina Bofferding (In French)
  
• Distribution of the ministerial portfolios by party (In French)
  
• Signing of the coalition agreement (In French)
  
• Coalition agreement 2018 - 2023 (PDF)
• Arrêté grand-ducal du 5 décembre 2018 portant énumération des Ministères (In French)
  
• Arrêté grand-ducal du 5 décembre 2018 portant reconduction de Monsieur Xavier BETTEL dans sa fonction de Premier Ministre (In French)
  
• Arrêté grand-ducal du 5 décembre 2018 modifiant l'arrêté royal grand-ducal modifié du 9 juillet 1857 portant organisation du Gouvernement grand-ducal (In French)
  
• Arrêté grand-ducal du 5 décembre 2018 portant attribution des compétences ministérielles aux membres du Gouvernement (In French)
  
• Arrêté grand-ducal du 5 décembre 2018 portant a) reconduction dans sa fonction de Vice-Premier Ministre de Monsieur Étienne SCHNEIDER ; b) nomination de Monsieur Félix BRAZ à la fonction de Vice-Premier Ministre; c) reconduction dans leur fonction de Ministre de Monsieur Jean ASSELBORN, Monsieur Romain SCHNEIDER, Monsieur François BAUSCH, Monsieur Pierre GRAMEGNA, Monsieur Daniel KERSCH, Monsieur Claude MEISCH, Madame Corinne CAHEN, Madame Carole DIESCHBOURG et Monsieur Marc HANSEN; d) nomination de Monsieur Claude TURMES, Madame Paulette LENERT, Madame Sam TANSON, Madame Taina BOFFERDING et Monsieur Lex DELLES à la fonction de Ministre (In French)
  
• Arrêté grand-ducal du 5 décembre 2018 portant constitution des Ministères (In French)