Grand Duke announces October elections, defers dissolution of Parliament

Grand Duke Henri on Friday announced that he had “resolved” to dissolve the Luxembourg Parliament with effect from 7 October, with early elections set to take place on 20 October, in line with the views of the parliament’s constitutional committee. On Thursday, the State Council had spoken out against such a deferred dissolution of parliament, saying that in light of the current government crisis, the legislature should be dismissed immediately.

A statement from the Grand Duke’s office said that parliament would not be dissolved until October to prevent the country‘s institutions from being “limited in their field of action for a prolonged period” .

The Grand Duke also called on political parties to conduct a “dignified” election campaign and expressed his hope “that the atmosphere of trust, which allows us to work together in the general interest of our country and our citizens, will be reestablished.”

The announcement was made following consultations between the head of state and political parties earlier today.

On Thursday evening, Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker also met with the Grand Duke to reiterate his earlier request for a dissolution of parliament on 7 October, followed by elections on 20 October.

The Grand Duke’s decision will be formalised early next week.

(Source: rtl.lu, wort.lu)