List of Prime Ministers of Luxembourg - The Era of Independents

The Era of Independents

From the promulgation of the first constitution, in 1848, until the early twentieth century, Luxembourgish politics was dominated by independent politicians and statesmen. The prerogative powers of the Grand Duke remained undiluted, and, as such, the monarch actively chose and personally appointed the Prime Minister. As a result, the Prime Minister was often a moderate, without any strong affiliation to either of the two major ideological factions in the Chamber of Deputies: the secularist liberals and the Catholic conservatives.

In the early twentieth century, the emergence of socialism as a third force in Luxembourgish politics ended the dominance of independents, and further politicised the government of the country. This did not affect the Prime Minister's position until 1915, when the long-serving Paul Eyschen died in office. His death created a struggle for power between the main factions, leading to the establishment of the formalised party system.

Prime Minister Term of office
G.T.I. de la Fontaine 1 August 1848 6 December 1848
Jean-Jacques Willmar 6 December 1848 23 September 1853
Mathias Simons 23 September 1853

26 September 1860
Victor, Baron de Tornaco 26 September 1860

3 December 1867
Emmanuel Servais 3 December 1867

26 December 1874
Félix, Baron de Blochausen 26 December 1874

20 February 1885
Édouard Thilges 20 February 1885 22 September 1888
Paul Eyschen 22 September 1888

11 October 1915
Mathias Mongenast 12 October 1915 6 November 1915
Hubert Loutsch 6 November 1915 24 February 1916
Victor Thorn 24 February 1916 19 June 1917
Léon Kauffman 19 June 1917 28 September 1918

Read more about this topic:  List Of Prime Ministers Of Luxembourg

Famous quotes containing the word era:

    The great pagan world of which Egypt and Greece were the last living terms ... once had a vast and perhaps perfect science of its own, a science in terms of life. In our era this science crumbled into magic and charlatanry. But even wisdom crumbles.
    —D.H. (David Herbert)