Brussels, 21/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - Having taken the lead in Luxembourg's parliamentary elections on Sunday 20 October, outgoing Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker claimed “the priority to form the next government”. His party saw a slight decline in relation to 2009 - with 33.7% of the votes (in other words, 23 seats) in comparison with 38% four years ago. Juncker, who has governed the country for 18 years, did not seem intimidated by this decline and stressed the difference between his party and the other formations. The socialists, his old allies, and the liberals (DP), each took 13 of the 60 seats in the parliament, and the Greens took six. The socialists withdrew their support for the government last July after a scandal linked to Luxembourg's intelligence service. According the news agency AFP, Juncker did not exclude a coalition being formed against him.
Joseph Daul MEP (France), acting leader of the EPP of which Juncker's CSV is part, congratulated his ally on the “mandate” given him by the people of Luxembourg to continue “to lead the country” again. The liberals consider themselves the great winners of these elections. Xavier Bettel, who chairs the party, said that the elections had “clearly given [them] a mandate to enter a new government” or to form one. Graham Watson MEP (UK), leader of the ALDE Group, also hoped to see Bettel's party form part of the government. (EL/transl.fl)