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In the 2015 referendum, the majority of voters rejected the proposal to grant voting rights to Luxembourg residents and individuals under the age of 16. Eight years on, how do political parties view the issue?
Despite the 2015 result, discussions persist regarding how representative the parliamentary elections are in Luxembourg, as around half the Grand Duchy's residents are unable to elect their politicians. Could the Chamber elections be more representative if the right to vote was extended to more of the population?
Marc Schoentgen, Centre for Political Education
The Centre for Political Education's Marc Schoentgen revisited the relationship between voter turnout and the representativeness of the elections. Is the current system representative? He points out that it does exclude a large proportion of the population, including foreign residents and those under-18. However, if asked, MPs are more likely to say they represent their constituency rather than their voters.
Of course, the 2015 result is not binding, Schoentgen explains. There could be another referendum in the future, or Parliament could also decide to amend the Constitution.
Parties' positions on the topic
RTL submitted the following question to Luxembourg's political parties to establish their position on the topic:
Should the proportion of residents with the right to vote in parliamentary elections be increased?
No: ADR, Déi Konservativ (Conservatives)
In principle, we support residents' rights to vote, but in this matter we respect the outcome of the 2015 referendum: DP, Déi Gréng (Greens), Pirates
Yes, through simplifying access to Luxembourg citizenship: CSV, KPL
Yes, through simplifying access to Luxembourg citizenship, and lowering the voting age to 16: LSAP
Yes, through giving all residents the right to vote: Fokus, Volt
Yes, through giving all residents the right to vote, and lowering the voting age to 16: Déi Lénk (the Left)
