Brussels, 12/07/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 12 July, the prime minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker, was unanimously put at the top of his party's electoral list for the early elections on 20 October following dissolution of the chamber of deputies, probably on 7 October, with the current government remaining in place until then. The Grand Duke of Luxembourg has not yet responded to the request for early elections, wanting to hold consultations beforehand.
At a meeting of his party on Thursday evening, Juncker said he would like to continue governing, and rejected criticisms that he spent more time in Brussels than in Luxembourg when he chaired the meetings of eurozone finance ministers. “The euro is also our currency”, he said, adding: “If one engages in the most intense manner to help ensure that Greece doesn't exit the euro zone, that the euro zone survives and becomes more solid - and today it's more solid than a year ago - then one fights also for the Luxembourg currency and our buying power.”
The party's 60 candidates will be made known after a congress on 27 July. For the Socialists (LSAP), Jean Asselborn announced on Friday morning that it would be Etienne Schneider rather than he himself who topped the list. The final list will be drawn up on Tuesday at an LSAP congress. The current political crisis blew up after a parliamentary committee held Juncker politically responsible for problems in the intelligence service, SREL. (EL/transl.fl)