1919 Luxembourg general election

General elections were held in Luxembourg on 26 October 1919.[1] They were the first held after several constitutional amendments were passed on 15 May of the same year.[2] The reforms had introduced universal suffrage and proportional representation, increased the electorate from 6% of the population to 42%,[3] and vested national sovereignty in the people, as opposed to the Grand Duke. They were also the first elections held after the German occupation during World War I.

1919 Luxembourg general election
Luxembourg
← 1918 26 October 1919 1922 →

48 seats in the Chamber of Deputies
24 seats needed for a majority
Party Leader Vote % Seats +/–
Party of the Right Émile Reuter 49.72 27 +4
Socialist Party 17.57 8 −4
Radical Party 15.96 7 −3
IPP 6.83 2 −3
PNI Pierre Prüm 6.24 3 +1
Cartel Othon Decker 1.67 1 New
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
Prime Minister before Prime Minister after
Émile Reuter
Party of the Right
Émile Reuter
Party of the Right

The election saw the beginning of conservative dominance of Luxembourgish politics, ending seventy years of liberal dominance that had begun to crumble after the death of Paul Eyschen. With the constitutional reforms and the birth of the modern political order, the elections are considered the first in the modern political history of Luxembourg.

Results

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The election was an overwhelming victory for the Party of the Right, led by Émile Reuter, the sitting Prime Minister. The 1919 general election was the only occasion in Luxembourgian history on which a party has held more than 50% of the seats (although it was repeated in the partial election of 1922).[4] Reuter would maintain a coalition with the Liberal League (which ran under the name "Radical Party") for another two years, before forming the first single-party cabinet on 15 April 1921.[5]

 
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Party of the Right655,69549.72274
Socialist Party231,67217.578–4
Radical Party210,45015.967–3
Independent People's Party90,0766.832–3
Independent National Party82,2976.243+1
Cartel22,0571.671New
Emile Mark List14,0551.070New
Independent Workers' Party11,3540.860New
J Kayser List1,0840.080New
Total1,318,740100.0048–5
Registered voters/turnout126,194
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

By constituency

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Constituency Seats Turnout Party Votes Seats
won
Centre 13 Party of the Right 180,545 6
Radical Party 121,598 4
Socialist Party 83,151 3
Independent People's Party 13,490 0
Est 7 19,054 Party of the Right 90,252 6
Cartel 22,057 1
Independent People's Party 7,790 0
Nord 12 29,990 Party of the Right 211,159 8
Independent National Party 82,297 3
Socialist Party 29,546 1
Independent People's Party 3,949 0
Sud 16 Party of the Right 173,739 7
Socialist Party 118,975 4
Radical Party 88,852 3
Independent People's Party 64,847 2
Emile Mark List 14,055 0
Independent Workers' Party 11,354 0
J Kayser List 1,084 0
Source: Luxemburger Wort, Luxemburger Wort

References

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  1. ^ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1234 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. ^ Thewes, Guy (July 2003). Les gouvernements du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg depuis 1848 (PDF) (Édition limitée ed.). Luxembourg City: Service Information et Presse. p. 76. ISBN 2-87999-118-8. Retrieved 2006-08-23.
  3. ^ "Luxembourg" (PDF). University of Tampere. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-05-07. Retrieved 6 December 2008.
  4. ^ Thewes (2003), p. 78
  5. ^ Thewes (2003), p. 77