In a recent feature, we looked deeper into the changing population of Luxembourg and the unique lines that run between generations-deep citizens, long-time residents, new citizens, and new residents.
One thing that draws clear lines between Luxembourgish citizens, whether old or new, and residents, whether European or third-country nationals, is voting.
There are three possible ways to vote politically in Luxembourg: in legislative elections, held every five years, European parliamentary elections, held every five years, and municipal elections in Luxembourg, every six years.
While parliamentary elections in Luxembourg are limited to Luxembourgish citizens and European elections to EU nationals, municipal elections, which play a significant role in local governance and community representation in Luxembourg, extend voting rights to residents.
"For municipal elections, foreign residents are allowed to vote and stand as candidates if they register on the electoral roll", government advisor from the Ministry for Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together and Reception of Refugees Yan Sales explains. "To increase participation [in municipal elections], Luxembourg has simplified registration procedures, allowing eligible foreign residents to register through their municipality or online."
And in 2022, municipal elections were made more accessible still – the previous five-year residence requirement was abolished, enabling foreign residents to participate as soon as they are legally residing and registered.
With mandatory voting, and a quickly diversifying portrait of a Luxembourgish citizen and resident, how are communities reached to encourage voting, how do parties ensure their policies are heard, and statistically speaking, are new citizens voting at all?
Luxembourg has always seen a particularly engaged electorate, with constitutional elections in 2009 and 2013 demonstrating voter turnouts of over 90%. While still high, the number has started to dwindle in recent years, even as the population has grown.
According to data provided by the Ministry of State, there were 259,887 registered voters in 2018, out of which 233,041 voted – just below 90%. In 2023, the electorate had grown to 286,739, a 10% increase since 2018.
That year in particular saw a record high for naturalisation: The Grand Duchy welcomed 10,499 new citizens, 5,350 of whom reside in Luxembourg. The voting turnout, however, dropped to 87%.
Aided by initiatives from the government and associations, however, the 2023 municipal elections saw a spike in registrations: 50,084 residents registered, signifying a final registration rate of 19.8% among eligible non-Luxembourgish residents – a 45% increase compared to the 34,638 registered non-Luxembourgish voters in 2017.
To encourage voting at all levels, understanding the electorate, and having them understand the importance of the elections, is key.
"After every municipal election, we do an analysis of how many foreigners registered to vote and where they registered, and what their profile is", says Jessica Lopes, research and training officer at the Centre for Intercultural and Social Studies and Training (Centre d'Etude et de Formation Interculturelles et Sociales – CEFIS).
From there, the association looks for trends: Is there a certain nationality that stands out, or a certain age group or economic status?
"Based on the analysis that we do and the report that we publish, we usually also develop training for the following elections", she added. "We identify communities where we see that there's a lack of information, of motivation, or whatever the reason is. And we identify key people and train them to know how to encourage people to vote."
These people identified, Lopes explained, are rarely from the association or the ministry they represent; it takes an authentic connection with members of the community to effectively reach out.
"If we just organise a conference around voting rights, we will probably not have a lot of people. And the people that will come are usually the ones that are already convinced of the importance", Lopes said. "We think that often when it's peer-to-peer, it has a bigger impact."
Working with different communities and providing training to organise events, not just on elections but on a broader range of topics, opportunities are created.
"The idea is really to help the community identify the needs of their inhabitants in terms of living together, in terms of intercultural relations, where do people meet, how do they meet, what do they need in terms of language", Lopes said.
The goal, she stressed, is not to force people to vote, or to tell them who to vote for, but to ensure that every resident and citizen understands their entitlement – and is equipped to exercise their rights.
"If people do not vote, it should be because they decided not to vote, and not because they do not know that they can vote, or they don't know how to vote or for who to vote", she said. "For us, it's important that people make an informed decision, and not that they are de facto excluded."
From their analysis and research, CEFIS has identified one of the major issues that keeps people from voting: accessibility.
"Often, people do not participate not just because they don't care or because politics is not their thing, but also because politics is very Luxembourgish in Luxembourg", she said. "The debates are usually held in Luxembourgish; it is not the most accessible field in our society."
The Ministry for Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together and Reception of Refugees also detailed how non-Luxembourgish residents and new citizens, who may come from different democratic traditions or who may be unfamiliar with Luxembourg's electoral system, are helped through the Ministry's 'I Can Vote' campaign, which provides multilingual and accessible information on voting rights, registration procedures, electoral deadlines, and the practical functioning of elections.
"To help non-Luxembourgers, the Ministry produced explanatory videos, including practical guidance on how to register for the electoral roll and how to correctly fill out a ballot paper", Sales described.
Aside from language barriers, it is also priorities and their significance to the voting public that need highlighting. Quite often, it is the significance of voting that needs to be stressed: why does the individual vote matter, and what impact might it have?
"Sometimes people don't vote because they don't really know what the impact of a municipal election is on their life", Lopes shared. "Then we really talk to people, explaining, for example, if you have children that go to primary school – that is at the municipal level. Or if you take the bus. So, we really train the people in order for them to spread the world."
When it comes to legislative elections, creating awareness on issues that affect everyone, but that not everyone can vote for, is essential.
For example, Lopes said: "It is clear that housing is a bigger challenge for people who do not have a few generations of family living in Luxembourg or inheritance in terms of real estate. It is also clear that non-migrants do not have all the problems linked to residency permits."
With many long-term residents eventually becoming citizens in Luxembourg, a lack of interest in electoral participation could be damaging for all.
"There are a few topics in politics that might not have a priority because migrants do not vote", Lopes added.
With a high number of residents and new citizens originating from European countries such as Portugal, which has a reported 55% voter turnout, and France (66%), voting participation may not come by default.
Using Portugal as an example, Lopes said: "Portugal was a dictatorship until the mid '70s, so a lot of people have never voted in their lives: not here, not in Portugal. Because it is not part of their political culture."
While many efforts are being made to encourage voting and to increase awareness on voting rights, political parties also are approached and encouraged to do their part.
"As part of the activities carried out during the 2023 campaign, the Minister contacted political parties by letter, inviting them to relay information about the campaign and encourage participation among eligible voters", Sales said. "Furthermore, our partner CEFIS reached out to all political parties and published self-presentations of them on its website to provide voters with accessible information on the political landscape."
While these efforts have proved positive so far and encouraging results have been seen, campaigns are continuously reviewed, and awareness campaigns invested in. With Luxembourg's multi-cultural diversity, political awareness and enablement remains a priority for the good of all.
"In a highly diverse society, democratic participation helps residents feel involved in their communities and strengthens their sense of belonging", said Sales. "Foreign residents who understand their rights and the way decisions are made are more likely to engage in local life and contribute to the common good."
