Who are the most liked politicians in the country, and do citizens think the government is performing well? The Polimonitor survey has the answer to all of these questions.

In the latest Politmonitor survey by Ilres for RTL and Luxemburger Wort, Charles Goerens of the Democratic Party (DP) has climbed to third place – a significant leap among Luxembourg’s most popular politicians. Although his strong public recognition made this result unsurprising, it is significant as it marks the first time the European Parliament member was included in the survey options.

Meanwhile, the standout success of the survey is Christophe Hansen, Luxembourg’s EU Commissioner, whose achievements on the European stage have catapulted him into the top ten. With a notable 15-point increase in his scores for competence and likability, Hansen now ranks 9th overall.

Bettel and Lenert at the top once again

The top two spots in the Politmonitor survey remain unchanged since March. Xavier Bettel, Minister of Foreign Affairs from the Democratic Party (DP), continues to lead as the most popular politician, followed closely by Paulette Lenert of the opposition Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP) in second place.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Luc Frieden of the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) slips to fourth place, losing the third spot to Charles Goerens. Despite this, Frieden maintains a solid and stable score in the rankings and this, at the time of the first assessment of the CSV-DP coalition.

Spots five and six are held by members of the DP: Luxembourg City’s Mayor Lydie Polfer, followed by Minister of the Economy Lex Delles.

The survey places Chamber President Claude Wiseler (CSV) and Member of Parliament Taina Bofferding (LSAP) in a tie for 7th and 8th positions. Transport Minister Yuriko Backes (DP) enters the top 10 for the first time, partly due to Sam Tanson of the Greens (déi Gréng) not performing as strongly as in March. Martine Hansen, Minister of Agriculture from the CSV, narrowly misses staying within the top 10, finishing instead in 12th position.

In the top 20, we notably find Gilles Roth, Minister for Finance, in 12th place, and Serge Wilmes, Minister for the Environment and the Civil Service, in 15th place.

Controversies within the Pirate Party

The latest Politmonitor survey highlights a significant decline for Sven Clement of the Pirate Party, who lost 23 points following recent controversies involving him and his party. This drop also removes him from the top 10 most popular politicians. Fellow party member Marc Goergen, who was already less well-placed, also drops 15 points, making him another low-ranking figure.

Out of the 39 politicians included in the survey, Alexandra Schoos from the Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR) ranks last.

However, despite the Pirate Party's decline in popularity, a number of politicians have experienced the opposite in this latest survey. Martine Deprez, the CSV Minister for Social Security, and Justice Minister Elisabeth Margue both saw notable gains. However, the most significant improvement was seen by Interior Minister Léon Gloden, also from the CSV.

On the DP side, Culture Minister Eric Thill stood out with the most significant increase, gaining 11 points on average in both sympathy and competence. This surge in popularity can be partly attributed to his growing visibility in recent months.

Citizens government's performance positively

Overall, the latest survey results show that respondents have a slightly more favorable view of the government compared to March. 61% of those surveyed felt that the government was performing well, although only 11% rated its performance as very good. In contrast, 26% believed the government was performing poorly.

Among CSV voters, an overwhelming 95% expressed approval of the current coalition’s work, while 79% of DP voters shared this sentiment. However, voters from the LSAP and the Greens tended to rate the government's performance negatively, and ADR voters were divided.

Interestingly, when examining specific issues, the government’s performance appears less favorable. While the public was generally more satisfied with financial measures related to ensuring a higher net income, there was significant dissatisfaction with its handling of other areas. Majorities of respondents believed the government had performed poorly, or even very poorly, in areas such as dialogue with social partners, addressing the housing crisis, and dealing with the Caritas scandal.

More details on Alia.lu

For the Politmonitor survey commissioned by RTL and Lëtzebuerger Wort, a representative sample of 1,063 individuals was surveyed by Ilres. The interviews took place between 18 and 26 November and were conducted via phone and online through MyPanel by Ilres.

Further details on the survey's methodology and the full questionnaire can be found on Alia.lu