Luxembourg - December 2022
Constitutional reforms pass the Chamber of Deputies
Lawmakers voted to approve four proposals to amend the constitution by a large majority. The constitutional amendments were originally tabled in 2009 and were subsequently divided into four chapters covering judicial independence; organisation of the state, the monarchy, the government and religious communities; rights and freedoms (extending from the right to personal integrity to the right of asylum); and the Parliament and the Council of State. Prime Minister Xavier Bettel hailed the amendments as a significant step towards updating and modernising the constitution. The new constitution is planned to come into force in the summer of 2023. The reforms would reflect the reduced role of the Grand Duke, which is today largely ceremonial, in Luxembourg’s institutional practice, and seeks to strengthen parliamentary oversight mechanisms and reinforce judicial independence.
