Everything you need to know about the 2023 municipal elections

The CSV once again secured the most votes and seats in the country, with 26.1% and 193 respectively, although it did see a 4.4% drop in its vote share as compared to 2017 and lost a total of 16 seats.

The overall winner of Sunday's election was unquestionably the DP, the party of Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, which increased its vote share by 2.5% to finish at 20.6% with 134 seats (+26). The DP also won in Luxembourg City with a vote share of 31.4%, which should earn the party 10 out of 27 seats on the municipal council.

It was a disappointing night for the LSAP (21.3%), which retained 155 seats but saw its vote share fall by 2.7%. The LSAP did manage to secure narrow majorities in Esch, Differdange, Dudelange and Pétange, four of the five largest communes in the country.

The big losers on the night, in contrast to 2017, were the Greens. They lost 13 seats, seeing their share of the vote collapse from 16.1% to 12.7%, and losing four seats in Differdange alone in the wake of the garden shed scandal.

© RTL

DP wins in Luxembourg City

Despite expectations of a tight race in Luxembourg City between DP mayor Lydie Polfer and her CSV chief alderman Serge Wilmes, it quickly became clear that one party had emerged victorious.

Polfer received an impressive 15,212 votes from the residents of the capital, while her colleagues Patrick Goldschmit (12,410 votes) and Minister for Family Affairs Corinne Cahen (11,328 votes) also attracted support.

Wilmes' 11,699 votes were not enough to carry the CSV over the winning line in the capital, where they now hold 6 of the 27 seats.

However, a continuation of the current DP-CSV coalition in Luxembourg City should be possible after Sunday's results, and the parties will meet at Knuedler on Monday to begin negotiations.

Other notable results in the capital included the accession of both the Pirates and the ADR to the municipal council with one seat each.

Aside from the capital, the DP also secured an absolute majority in Mondorf-les-Bains, where mayor Steve Reckel increased his vote share by a remarkable 39.5%.

Neck on neck in Esch-sur-Alzette

It was an extremely close-run affair in Esch-sur-Alzette between the LSAP and CSV, with both parties nudging into the lead at intervals as results came in. In the end, it was the LSAP who emerged on top with 29.57% to the CSV's 29.55%, with a lead of only 36 votes for the socialist party.

However, that might not be enough for the LSAP to return to power in the country's second city, as incumbent mayor Georges Mischo announced his intention to renew his coalition with the DP and Greens in order to give Esch 'stability.'

© Jeannot Ries / RTL

Mischo (CSV) came out ahead on 4,977 votes, 463 ahead of his LSAP rival Steve Faltz.

The big surprise in Esch was LSAP's Liz Braz, the daughter of former Green minister Felix Braz. The first-time candidate won an impressive 3,953 votes.

LSAP retains lead in southern strongholds

It wasn't a great night for the LSAP, which saw its vote share drop by 2.6% overall. Yet the party managed to retain its lead in its southern strongholds.

In Dudelange, mayor Dan Biancalana won 6,818 votes and his party conserved its majority on the council with 10 of the 19 seats.

© Maurice Fick / RTL

It was a similar story in Rumelange where mayor Henri Haine will hold an absolute majority after the LSAP won a sixth seat on the 11-seat council.

In Pétange, the socialists won an extra seat as Romain Mertzig beat former CSV Minister of the Interior Jean-Marie Halsdorf.

A bad night for the Greens

The big loser on the night was the Greens, which had a catastrophic night in the country's third-largest city, Differdange.

Voters turned away from the Greens (-21.7% of the vote and -4 seats) in a city still reeling from the resignation of former Green mayor Roberto Traversini in the wake of the garden shed affair.

The LSAP were able to capitalise, winning two seats at the expense of the Greens.

The night's biggest surprises

20-year-old Jill Goeres was elected mayor of Bech with 394 votes. Studying for a degree in education with the aim of becoming a school teacher, she narrowly beat her nearest challengers Norbert Classen (383 votes) and Nathalie Wohlfart (380 votes).

Lawyer Carole Hartmann (DP) was elected mayor of Echternach, beating all the predictions with 1,860 votes. She thereby dethroned Yves Wengler (CSV) and put a significant distance between her and Ben Scheuer (LSAP). An impressive increase (+10.6%) means that the DP will occupy an additional seat on the local council.

© Fernand Schmitz / RTL

Jessie Thill (Déi Gréng) made a splash in Walferdange. The MP and leader of the local Greens made a giant leap by winning 1,409 votes, 816 more than in 2017. The Greens took a seat from the DP and establishes themselves as the second political force in the town. Mayor François Sauber (CSV) was largely confirmed in his seat.

Clervaux Mayor Emile Eicher (CSV), who is also president of the Union of Cities and Municipalities in Luxembourg (Syvicol), received an electoral slap in the face. Eicher (1,648 votes) lost the top job to Alderman Georges Keipes (1,954 votes). Keipes and his local citizen’s list made a breakthrough by winning eleven seats on the council, taking three from the CSV.