|
Luxembourg capital is Luxembourg, its area measures 2,586 square kilometres, the population is made up of 441,300 inhabitants, The gross domestic product is 20,5 billion Euros; the unemployment rate is 4.3%, the inflation is 3% the deficit is –0.8% and its National Debt is equivalent to 4.9%. Independent since 1815, Luxembourg is a constitutional monarchy and it boasts one of the most ancient constitutions in the European continent, as the present constitution dates back to October 1868. Nowadays Luxembourg has a form of parliamentary government. The ascending affirmation of such a form of Government provoked a decrease in the powers of the Grand Duke, so that nowadays the executive powers is exerted by the Parliament, whereas the Head of the State, the Grand Duke just owns formal powers of representance. The legislative power is exerted by the Parliament, made up of a mono-cameral organ, the Chamber of Deputies, which consists of 60 members, elected every 5 years. The sovereign is Grand Duke Henri; his father Jean abdicated in October 2000, after he was been reigning since 1964. The present Prime Minister is Jean-Claude Juncker, leader of the Social-Christians. The country is now ruled by a coalition made up of Social-Christians and the Socialist Party. The last elections took place on the 13th June 2004, together with the elections for the European Parliament and the Social-Christian get a spotless victory with the 36.11% of the votes, a percentage never get in the last 20 years. As a founding Country of the European Community, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg have always asserted an important influence on the process of European integration, also thanks to its role of mediator between France and Germany. This is not by chance if in Luxembourg they also speak French and German. Many communitarian institutions take place in Luxembourg: the Court of Justice of the European communities, the Audit Office, the European Bank of the investiments. Luxembourg is considered one of the three capitals, beside Strasbourg and Bruxelles, of the European Union. Within the European Parliament 6 seats are for Luxembourg, after the enlargement. The elections for the European Parliament took place together with those for the Chamber of Deputies, as I said, on the 13th June 2004. Of course national and European subjects interlaced but the European ones found a space, so much so that the parties presented different programs: one for Europe and another for the domestic elections. The partecipation to the European election was very high, more than the 95%, probably due to the possibility of voting by correspondence. The Social-Christians get a spotless victori in the European elections as well. They get 3 seats and the joined the European Popular party, the Liberals get 1 seat, like the Socialist Party and the Green Party. The Luxembourg member of the European Commission is Viviane Reding, Commissary for the society of information and the means of communication.
|
