As Luxembourg prepares to head to the polls a second time this year, the three coalition parties (DP, LSAP and Greens) and the main opposition party (CSV) recently confirmed their lead candidates and their party priorities for the legislative (national) elections.

Unlike the recent municipal (local) elections, only Luxembourg nationals (over the age of eighteen) can vote in the national elections. On Sunday 8 October 2023, voters will elect the 60 deputies (MPs) making up the Chamber of Deputies (Luxembourg's parliament) for the next five years, according to the system of proportional representation. Once the official results are known, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg traditionally invites the election winner(s) to form a government.

There are four electoral constituencies each with their own number of deputies to be elected: the South (23), the Centre (21), the North (9) and the East (7).

DP

The Democratic Party (DP) recently became the latest big political party in Luxembourg to present its lead candidates for the upcoming national elections; the party is set to unveil its full lists (with all 60 candidates) on Saturday 15 July 2023.

South: Claude Meisch (current Minister of Education, Children and Youth and for Higher Education and Research) and Max Hahn (current Minister for Family Affairs, Integration and the Greater Region)

Centre: Xavier Bettel (current Prime Minister; head of the DP's national list) and Yuriko Backes (current Minister of Finance)

North: Fernand Etgen (current President of the Chamber of Deputies, i.e. Luxembourg's parliament) and Marc Hansen (current Minister for the Civil Service and Minister Delegate for Digitalisation)

East: Lex Delles (current Minister for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and for Tourism; DP President) and Carole Hartmann (current MP and Mayor of Echternach)

LSAP

The Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP) was the first big party to unveil its lists, having already confirmed its 60 candidates at the end of June 2023. The lead candidates are:

South: Jean Asselborn (current Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and of Immigration and Asylum) and Taina Bofferding (current Minister for Home Affairs and of Equality between Women and Men)

Centre: Franz Fayot (current Minister of the Economy and for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs) and Francine Closener (MP; LSAP Co-President)

North: Claude Haagen (Minister of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development and of Social Security) and Flore Schank (alderwoman in Feulen)

East: Paulette Lenert (current Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Health and for Consumer Protection; head of LSAP's national list) and Ben Streff (President of the LSAP's eastern section)

Greens

Earlier this month, the Greens (Déi Gréng) officially named their lead candidates - and presented their full lists - for the national elections:

South: Joëlle Welfring (current Minister for the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development) and Meris Sehovic (Co-President of the Greens)

Centre: Sam Tanson (current Minister of Justice and for Culture; head of the Greens' national list) and François Bausch (current Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and for Mobility and Public Works)

North: Claude Turmes (current Minister for Energy and Spatial Planning) and Stéphanie Empain (MP)

East: Henri Kox (current Minister for Housing and of Internal Security) and Chantal Gary (MP)

CSV

The main opposition party, the Christian Social People's Party (CSV), also recently confirmed its lists, with the lead candidates being:

South: Georges Mischo (MP and Mayor of Esch-sur-Alzette) and Gilles Roth (MP and Mayor of Mamer)

Centre: Luc Frieden (head of CSV's national list) and Elisabeth Margue (CSV Co-President)

North: Martine Hansen (MP) and Christophe Hansen (MEP)

East: Léon Gloden (MP) and Max Hengel (MP)