Frankfurt, Nov. 17, (dpa/GNA) – Luxembourg’s centre-right Christian Social People’s Party (CSV) signed its coalition agreement with the liberal Democratic Party (DP) on Thursday, more than five weeks after parliamentary elections.
The new government in the European Union’s second-smallest country is to be sworn in on Friday.
Luc Frieden, CSV leader, is to be prime minister of the new government while outgoing prime minister Xavier Bettel of the DP will serve as deputy prime minister and also as foreign minister.
Bettel’s three-party coalition of his liberal DP party, the Greens and the Social Democrats suffered defeat on October 8 due to heavy losses by the Greens. The coalition held power in the small country since 2013.
The CSV emerged as the strongest party, giving Frieden a mandate to form the next government, followed by the DP in second place. Together, the two parties hold a majority of 35 of the 60 seats in the new parliament.
The new cabinet will have 15 ministers, instead of the 17 to date, with the CSV holding eight portfolios and the DP seven.
Both parties agreed on a government programme that will boost the economy and society while also taking climate concerns into account, Frieden said.
Key points in the agreement include tax cuts that will benefit individuals and the provision of affordable housing. renewable energy is to be expanded “massively,” and bureaucracy cut back.
GNA