Luxembourg Constitutional Referendum, 2015 on:
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A constitutional referendum was held in
Luxemburger Wort, 22 September 2014 # Lowering the
"Do you approve of the idea that Luxembourg people aged between sixteen and eighteen should have the right to optionally register on electoral lists in order to participate as voters in the elections to the Chamber of Deputies, the European elections, municipal elections and referendums?" #
"Do you approve of the idea that residents without Luxembourg nationality should have the right to optionally register on electoral lists in order to participate as voters in the elections to the Chamber of Deputies, on the double condition that they have resided at least ten years in Luxembourg and that they have previously participated in European or municipal elections in Luxembourg? # Introducing
"Do you approve of the idea of limiting to ten years the maximum period during which someone can continuously be part of the government (cabinet)?" Another intended question was abandoned after an agreement between the Luxembourgish government and the religious representatives in January 2015: # Do you approve of the idea that the State should no longer have the obligation to take charge of wages and pensions of ministers of the recognised religions?
A constitutional referendum was held in Luxembourg
Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
on 7 June 2015. Although the referendum was non-binding, the government said they would adhere to the result. All three proposed constitutional amendments
A constitutional amendment (or constitutional alteration) is a modification of the constitution of a polity, organization or other type of entity. Amendments are often interwoven into the relevant sections of an existing constitution, directly alt ...
were ultimately rejected by voters.
Questions
Voters were asked three questions:Four questions for Luxembourg referendumLuxemburger Wort, 22 September 2014 # Lowering the
voting age
A legal voting age is the minimum age that a person is allowed to Voting, vote in a democracy, democratic process. For General election, general elections around the world, the right to vote is restricted to adults, and most nations use 18 year ...
to 16:"Do you approve of the idea that Luxembourg people aged between sixteen and eighteen should have the right to optionally register on electoral lists in order to participate as voters in the elections to the Chamber of Deputies, the European elections, municipal elections and referendums?" #
Right of foreigners to vote
Non-citizen suffrage is the extension of the right to vote (suffrage) to non-citizens. This right varies widely by place in terms of which non-citizens are allowed to vote and in which elections, though there has been a trend over the last 30 year ...
:"Do you approve of the idea that residents without Luxembourg nationality should have the right to optionally register on electoral lists in order to participate as voters in the elections to the Chamber of Deputies, on the double condition that they have resided at least ten years in Luxembourg and that they have previously participated in European or municipal elections in Luxembourg? # Introducing
term limit
A term limit is a legal restriction on the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method of curbing the potential for monopoly, w ...
s:"Do you approve of the idea of limiting to ten years the maximum period during which someone can continuously be part of the government (cabinet)?" Another intended question was abandoned after an agreement between the Luxembourgish government and the religious representatives in January 2015: # Do you approve of the idea that the State should no longer have the obligation to take charge of wages and pensions of ministers of the recognised religions?
Campaign
A "yes" () vote to all three questions was supported by the three governing parties ( Democratic Party, Socialist Workers' Party andThe Greens The Greens or Greens may refer to:
Current political parties
*The Greens – The Green Alternative, Austria
*Australian Greens, also known as ''The Greens''
* Greens of Andorra
* The Greens (Benin)
*The Greens (Bulgaria)
* Greens of Bosnia and He ...
), as well as by The Left and the Pirate Party
Pirate Party is a label adopted by various Political party, political parties worldwide that share a set of values and policies focused on Civil and political rights, civil rights in the digital age. The fundamental principles of Pirate Partie ...
. A "no" () vote to all questions was supported by the conservative Alternative Democratic Reform Party
The Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR; , , ) is a conservative and mildly populist political party in Luxembourg. It has five seats in the sixty-seat Chamber of Deputies, making it the fourth-largest party. In 2024, the party received it ...
. The largest political party, the Christian Social People's Party
The Christian Social People's Party (, , ; CSV or PCS) is the largest political party in Luxembourg. The party follows a Christian democratic and conservative ideology and has been described as centre to centre-right. Furthermore, akin to most ...
, also supported three "no" votes but emphasised that voters should be well-informed before voting.
Opinion polls
A March 2015 poll indicated support for the third question, but not for the first and second ones. In an April 2025 poll conducted for the referendum's 10th anniversary, a plurality of 46% of respondents supported lowering the voting age to 16, while 58% of Luxembourgish citizens polled and 75% of non-citizens supported the right of foreigners to vote in national elections.Results
References
External links
* {{Luxembourg electionsLuxembourg
Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
Constitutional
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed.
When these princ ...
Referendums in Luxembourg
Constitutional referendums
Constitution of Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...