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34-616: Max Hahn (born 30 April 1981) is a Luxembourgish politician of the Democratic Party serving as Minister for Family Affairs since 2023. He was previously a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 2013 to 2023. From 2010 to 2013, he was president of the Democratic and Liberal Youth . This article about a Luxembourgish politician is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Democratic Party (Luxembourg) Founded in 1955,

68-625: A journalist. He entered politics in 1959, representing the liberal Democratic Party . He was a member of the European Parliament from 1959 to 1969. He was Chairman of the Democratic Party from 1962 to 1969. From 1961 to 1963 he was one of the aldermen of the City of Luxembourg. Thorn was Foreign Minister and Foreign Trade Minister of Luxembourg from 1969 to 1980, Prime Minister from 1974 to 1979 and Minister of Economics from 1977 to 1980. He

102-621: A very distinctive class profile. When in government, the DP has always held the office of Minister for the Middle Class . Most DP supporters are civil servants , white-collar workers , self-employed people, and those on high incomes. This group has been fast-growing, further focusing the party's electoral socio-economic appeal. The party's most successful areas electorally are Luxembourg City and its wealthy suburbs, where those groups are concentrated. The Mayor of Luxembourg City has come from

136-416: The 1974 general election , to 22.2% of the vote and 14 seats. This political upset gave it the opportunity to enter into coalition negotiations with the second-placed LSAP. Surprisingly, in the negotiations, the DP got the upper hand, securing the most ministerial positions and departments, as well as the premiership itself under Gaston Thorn . The formation of Thorn's government, however, coincided with

170-481: The European Parliament out of six. The party's stronghold is around Luxembourg City , where it has held the mayorship for all but 7 years since the end of World War II. The party has often played the minor coalition partner to the Christian Social People's Party (CSV). In Gaston Thorn and Xavier Bettel , the DP has provided the only Prime Ministers of Luxembourg since 1945 not to be affiliated with

204-591: The Frieden-Bettel Government . The Democratic Party sits on the moderate centre-right of the political spectrum in Luxembourg. Since the late 1960s, thanks to the secularisation of Luxembourg and the CSV, the party has moved gradually towards the centre, to allow it to form coalitions with either the CSV or LSAP. Now, it could be seen to be to the left of the CSV, in the centre , and with more in common with

238-638: The British Liberal Democrats or German Free Democratic Party than with liberal parties in Belgium or the Netherlands. However, the CSV usually prefers forming coalitions with the LSAP to those with the DP, pushing the DP to the economically liberal right. In economic policies, the DP is a strong supporter of private property rights, free trade , and the free market , although under Thorn's government,

272-562: The CSV (1974–1979 and 2013–2023). The party is a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) and the Liberal International . The party has been one of the most influential liberal parties in Europe, due to its strength, its regular involvement in government, its role in international institutions, and Thorn's leadership. Although the party traces its history back to

306-597: The CSV, LSAP, and (recently) the Alternative Democratic Reform Party tend to receive the votes of older people. Unlike the CSV and LSAP, the DP is not affiliated to a major trade union . The party is particularly popular amongst male voters. Despite its anti-clericalism , DP voters are no less religiously affiliated than the general population. National groups: * observer *associate member **observer Gaston Thorn Gaston Egmond Thorn (3 September 1928 – 26 August 2007)

340-549: The Catholic CSV, the DP is notably anti-clerical , which gives it more importance than its electoral performances would suggest. The DP has led the CSV and LSAP in becoming more internationalist in outlook, focusing on the European Union , environmentalism , and advocacy of human rights abroad. It is the most vocal supporter of European integration , even in a particularly pro-EU country. The party puts great emphasis on

374-401: The DP absorbed the anti-establishment Popular Independent Movement . In that year's election , the party benefited from a tide of moderates shifting from an increasingly radical LSAP, returned to 11 seats, and consequently entered into government with the CSV under Prime Minister Pierre Werner . The DP remained in coalition with the CSV until 1974, when it experienced a surge in support in

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408-425: The DP greatly increased public sector employment. Taxation plays a major role in the party platform. It is also a supporter of agriculture, particularly the wine industry. It long advocated the advancement of nuclear power , but scrapped plans to build a plant at Remerschen , and now supports renewable alternatives, although not opposing nuclear power in principle. Indicating its priorities, when in government,

442-566: The DP has usually or always controlled ministries in charge of Transport , Public Works , the Middle Class , the Civil Service , and Energy . The DP is the most outspoken party in support of civil liberties. Between 1974 and 1979, it legalised abortion and divorce, and abolished the death penalty. It also focuses its attention on the issues of minority groups, particularly migrant groups, but also homosexuals and single mothers . Unlike

476-546: The DP lose a seat, but the three-party coalition was able to maintain its majority under the Bettel II Government . In 2023 , though the DP gained the most votes in its history and had its best result since 1999 with 14 seats, the electoral defeat of the Greens, who went from 9 to 4 seats, meant the government lost its majority. The party became a junior coalition partner to the CSV, with Bettel becoming Deputy Prime Minister in

510-641: The DP since 1970, and the party and its liberal predecessors have been out of the office for only seven years since the foundation of the Liberal League in 1904. The city lies in the Centre constituency, where the DP challenges the CSV for the most seats. However, the party also has some traditional following in Est and the Nord , consistently coming second in each. The party has notably more support amongst young people, whilst

544-546: The DP to renew the coalition with them. As a result, Werner formed a coalition with the DP, with Thorn as Deputy Prime Minister . In the first European election in 1979 , the DP won 2 seats: an achievement that it hasn't matched since. In 1980, Thorn was named the new President of the European Commission , and was replaced by Colette Flesch . The 1984 general election saw the DP's first electoral setback in twenty years. The DP lost one seat, standing on 14, whilst

578-423: The LSAP in vote share for the first time ever. This allowed it to displace the LSAP as the CSV's coalition partner, with Lydie Polfer as Deputy Prime Minister. As a result of the 2004 general election , the DP lost 5 seats, bringing its total down to 10. The party also lost its place as the coalition partner back to the LSAP, and remained in opposition until 2013. In the 2013 general election , held early due to

612-465: The aspirations of Thorn and other supporters of European integration on hold". However, as EC President, Thorn did manage to reach agreement on a common fisheries policy, and laid the basis for Portugal and Spain joining the European Community. Greece had just joined when his mandate started in 1981. Although Thorn was not considered a very forceful commission president, during his term of office

646-429: The beginning of an economic crisis, and the government was occupied mostly with the restructuring of the steel industry whilst attempting to avoid mass unemployment . Despite this, the coalition managed to push through major reforms of social policy, including abolishing capital punishment (1974), allowing no-fault divorce (1975) and broadening at-fault divorce (1978), and legalising abortion (1978). In 1977,

680-492: The collapse of the second Juncker–Asselborn government , the party acquired 13 deputies with 18.3% of the vote, becoming joint second-largest party along with the LSAP. In October 2013 the DP negotiated a three-party coalition government with the LSAP and The Greens , and on 4 December 2013 the Bettel-Schneider government was sworn in, with DP leader Xavier Bettel serving as Prime Minister. The 2018 general election saw

714-467: The commission budget. There was also tension due to other EC governments' reservations about Britain's role in the Falklands War ; and due to some European leaders' opposition to United States foreign policy and the deployment of cruise missiles and Pershing missiles in Europe. This was in addition to the long-running international recession, and occasional threats of trade wars. This all "combined to put

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748-468: The commission continued to expand its power, both at the expense of the national governments of EC members, and of the European Parliament, with which the commission engaged in a constant power struggle. In this Thorn laid the groundwork for his successor Jacques Delors , who took the commission to the height of its power. After leaving the commission presidency in 1985, Thorn went into business. He

782-513: The foundation of the Liberal League in 1904, it was founded in its current form on 24 April 1955. It was the successor to the Democratic Group , which had grown out of the major group of war-time liberal resistance fighters, the Patriotic and Democratic Group . The DP spent the majority of the 1950s and 1960s, under the leadership of Lucien Dury and then Gaston Thorn , establishing itself as

816-498: The government abandoned plans to build a nuclear power plant at Remerschen , of which the DP had been the primary advocate. When PM, in 1975, Thorn sat as President of the United Nations General Assembly . In 1979 , Thorn went head-to-head with Werner, with the LSAP serving a supporting role to the DP. Both the CSV ended victorious, gaining six seats, and the LSAP's loss of three seats made it impossible for

850-621: The party is currently led by Lex Delles . Its former president, Xavier Bettel , was the Prime Minister of Luxembourg from 2013 to 2023, leading the Bettel I and II governments in coalition with the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP) and The Greens . It is the second-largest party in the Chamber of Deputies , with fourteen seats out of sixty, having won 17.8% of the vote at the 2023 general election , and has two seats in

884-473: The resurgence of the LSAP meant it overtook the Democratic Party once again. The LSAP formed a coalition with the CSV, with Jacques Poos serving as Deputy Prime Minister to Jacques Santer . This was renewed twice again, and the DP remained out of government until 1999. After the 1999 general election , the DP became the second-largest party in the Chamber of Deputies once again, with 15 seats. It also overtook

918-556: The role of the United Nations, and Thorn served as President of the UN General Assembly . The party is centrist on national security , supporting membership of NATO , but having worked to end conscription . The leader of the party is the president. Below is a list of presidents of the Democratic Party, and its predecessors, since 1948. The DP has been consistent in its advocacy of the middle class , and consequently has

952-478: The third major party, ahead of the Communist Party . At the time of its foundation, the party had six seats in the Chamber of Deputies. At the following election in 1959 , the DP won 11 seats, allowing it to serve as a minor role in a grand coalition with the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) and Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP). However, in 1964 , the party went back to six seats. In 1968,

986-461: Was a Luxembourgish politician who served in a number of high-profile positions, both domestically and internationally. Amongst the posts that he held were the 20th prime minister of Luxembourg (1974–1979), President of the United Nations General Assembly (1975), and the seventh president of the European Commission (1981–1985). Thorn was born in Luxembourg City . His early childhood however

1020-419: Was also President of the United Nations General Assembly from 1975 to 1976 for its 30th session. As Prime Minister from 1974 to 1979 he presided over a socialist-liberal coalition, between his own Democratic Party and the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party . This was the first Luxembourg government since World War II that did not involve the dominant Christian Social People's Party (CSV), and similarly, he

1054-739: Was chairman of Luxembourg's largest media company CLT , and president of the Banque Internationale à Luxembourg from 1985 to 1999. Thorn remained active in international and political affairs, as President of the International European Movement and as a member of the Trilateral Commission , the Bilderberg conference and of the Jean Monnet Committee. He was also president of the Liberal International . He

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1088-734: Was spent in Strasbourg where his father worked for the French railways. At the outbreak of World War II the family returned to Luxembourg. While still at school he engaged in resistance activities during the German occupation, and spent several months in prison. After the war he initially studied medicine in Montpellier , then switched to law, and continued his studies in Lausanne and Paris, and practised law in Luxembourg from 1955. In 1957 he married Liliane Petit,

1122-493: Was supported by the smaller countries and by West Germany, this because of Luxembourg's involvement in building up the commission. His presidency was marked by several difficulties. It coincided with a time of economic and political crisis, of Eurosclerosis , inside the European Community. Relations between the commission and British government under Margaret Thatcher declined, over her demands that Britain should be compensated by other countries for its share of payments towards

1156-575: Was the first non-CSV prime minister since the war. He was the head of government even though his party had fewer seats in the legislature than their coalition partner. In 1980 Thorn was chosen as president of the commission of the European Communities (now called the European Union), in succession to Roy Jenkins . He took office on 12 January 1981. France and Britain had been against his appointment as commission president, whereas his candidature

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