Euthanasia row sparks constitutional crisis in Luxembourg
- Thread starter Onhell
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Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Yep. There's also my country The Netherlands, plus Belgium, Monaco & Liechtenstein.
(from wiki):
In such cases it is the prime minister who holds the day-to-day powers of governance, while the King or Queen (or other monarch, such as a Grand Duke, in the case of Luxembourg, or Prince in the case of Monaco and Liechtenstein) retains only minor to no powers. Different nations grant different powers to their monarchs. In the Netherlands, Denmark and in Belgium, for example, the Monarch formally appoints a representative to preside over the creation of a coalition government following a parliamentary election, while in Norway the King chairs special meetings of the cabinet.
Back to Luxembourg again:
Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg opposes euthanasia and loses power
David Charter, Europe Correspondent
Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg is to be stripped of his executive power to veto laws passed by parliament after threatening to block a Bill to allow euthanasia in the tiny North European state.
The hereditary sovereign, 53, who is the last Grand Duke in the world, caused a constitutional crisis when he gave notice that he objected to Luxembourg following its neighbours Belgium and the Netherlands in permitting euthanasia before a second-reading vote in the Chamber of Deputies next week.
Jean-Claude Juncker, the Prime Minister, also opposed the Bill, but decided that the Grand Duke had overstepped the mark in threatening to deny the will of parliament.
Mr Juncker will propose a change to the constitution to downgrade the role of the Grand Duke to promulgating laws with his signature, rather than approving them, giving him a purely ceremonial duty in line with the other European constitutional monarchies.
Luc Frieden, the Justice Minister, said: “[The Grand Duke] will no longer participate in the legislative process; he will just sign the law to mark the completion of the procedure.”
The Grand Duke, who was trained at Sandhurst, succeeded to the dukedom in 2000 when his father abdicated.
His ethical stance on euthanasia caused the worst constitutional crisis in Luxembourg — which has a population of fewer than half a million — since Grand Duchess Marie-Adelaide was forced to abdicate in 1919 for being too pro-German during the First World War.
The first reading of the euthanasia Bill was approved by 30 votes to 26 in February and the intervention by the Grand Duke was seen by some as an attempt to influence the final vote.
Mr Juncker said: “I understand the Grand Duke's problems of conscience. But I believe that if the parliament votes in a law, it must be brought into force.”
The only other time that a sovereign has blocked a law was in 1912, when the Grand Duchess Marie-Adelaide refused to sign an education Bill.
François Bausch, the leader of the Green party, which supported the euthanasia Bill, said: “I hope the law will pass through Parliament by the end of the year. I hope that the Grand Duke will respect the consensus which has always prevailed in Luxembourg.”
Privilege and power
— In Europe there are only 12 monarchies left, including seven kingdoms and the elective monarchy of the Vatican
— Juan Carlos of Spain became King upon Franco's death in 1975. He supported a move to strip much of his own power
— Queen Beatrix is a member of the Government and a head of state in the Netherlands
— In 2001 ex-King Simeon of Bulgaria became Prime Minister
Source: Times archives
(from wiki):
In such cases it is the prime minister who holds the day-to-day powers of governance, while the King or Queen (or other monarch, such as a Grand Duke, in the case of Luxembourg, or Prince in the case of Monaco and Liechtenstein) retains only minor to no powers. Different nations grant different powers to their monarchs. In the Netherlands, Denmark and in Belgium, for example, the Monarch formally appoints a representative to preside over the creation of a coalition government following a parliamentary election, while in Norway the King chairs special meetings of the cabinet.
Back to Luxembourg again:
Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg opposes euthanasia and loses power
David Charter, Europe Correspondent
Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg is to be stripped of his executive power to veto laws passed by parliament after threatening to block a Bill to allow euthanasia in the tiny North European state.
The hereditary sovereign, 53, who is the last Grand Duke in the world, caused a constitutional crisis when he gave notice that he objected to Luxembourg following its neighbours Belgium and the Netherlands in permitting euthanasia before a second-reading vote in the Chamber of Deputies next week.
Jean-Claude Juncker, the Prime Minister, also opposed the Bill, but decided that the Grand Duke had overstepped the mark in threatening to deny the will of parliament.
Mr Juncker will propose a change to the constitution to downgrade the role of the Grand Duke to promulgating laws with his signature, rather than approving them, giving him a purely ceremonial duty in line with the other European constitutional monarchies.
Luc Frieden, the Justice Minister, said: “[The Grand Duke] will no longer participate in the legislative process; he will just sign the law to mark the completion of the procedure.”
The Grand Duke, who was trained at Sandhurst, succeeded to the dukedom in 2000 when his father abdicated.
His ethical stance on euthanasia caused the worst constitutional crisis in Luxembourg — which has a population of fewer than half a million — since Grand Duchess Marie-Adelaide was forced to abdicate in 1919 for being too pro-German during the First World War.
The first reading of the euthanasia Bill was approved by 30 votes to 26 in February and the intervention by the Grand Duke was seen by some as an attempt to influence the final vote.
Mr Juncker said: “I understand the Grand Duke's problems of conscience. But I believe that if the parliament votes in a law, it must be brought into force.”
The only other time that a sovereign has blocked a law was in 1912, when the Grand Duchess Marie-Adelaide refused to sign an education Bill.
François Bausch, the leader of the Green party, which supported the euthanasia Bill, said: “I hope the law will pass through Parliament by the end of the year. I hope that the Grand Duke will respect the consensus which has always prevailed in Luxembourg.”
Privilege and power
— In Europe there are only 12 monarchies left, including seven kingdoms and the elective monarchy of the Vatican
— Juan Carlos of Spain became King upon Franco's death in 1975. He supported a move to strip much of his own power
— Queen Beatrix is a member of the Government and a head of state in the Netherlands
— In 2001 ex-King Simeon of Bulgaria became Prime Minister
Source: Times archives
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Luxembourg's Grand Duke stripped of powers
Monarch refuses to sign euthanasia bill on moral grounds
By Vanessa Mock
The miniscule Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is being gripped by a furore that is set to leave its beloved monarch stripped of his political powers.
Grand Duke Henri has triggered an unprecedented constitutional crisis in the usually sedate principality after opposing a proposed bill to allow euthanasia. According to the constitution, the hereditary monarch must formally approve any new legislation put forward by the parliament, though until now, no one in the Duchy's dynasty has ever challenged the democratic process. But on December 2, Henri, a devout Catholic, refused to sign off the euthanasia bill on moral grounds, setting the wheels of historic constitutional change in motion. Later that same day, a parliamentary committee agreed to cut him out of the political process in a proposal that is set to be approved on Thursday.
"It's just one clause that's changing but it represents an enormous loss of monarchical rights," Professor Paul Margue, a historian, said in an interview. "You might be right to ask what then is the point of having a Grand Duke at all?"
Meddling monarch
But although the popular Henri, a handsome, affable 53-year old, is highly unlikely to be deposed, his public image has been tarnished by the affair. "He badly overstepped his mark by meddling in politics. No Grand Duke has ever before opposed a law before it's been approved by the parliament," says Lucien Montebrusco, political editor with the Luxembourg daily, Tageblatt. "He was pushed into taking a stand by the Catholic Church. They used him to try to make sure that this law would not get a majority."
Many commentators also point the finger of blame at Henri's Cuban wife, Maria-Theresa, who is thought to belong to a fundamentalist wing of the Catholic Church. "She may well have played a role but either way, he has brought it on himself. We can't have a stand off between the parliament and the monarch over this, so they have to work fast to avoid such an institutional crisis."
"Constitutional castration"
Although Henri backs this overhaul to the constitution, the move has divided the nation's 400,000 inhabitants. Newspapers have applauded the push to finally axe this outdated practice, while others have derided it as ‘constitutional castration'. Marie-Josée Frank, a parliamentarian with the Christian-Social Party, is outraged: "This is our Grand Duke we are talking about here. We can't just make huge decisions like this overnight. And everything is being thrown into this discussion instead of taking things one step at a time."
The lightning-speed with which these changes have been pushed through have also raised eyebrows, with some commentators pointing to Prime Minister Jean-Paul Juncker's huge eagerness in the process - the animosity between Juncker and Henri is well-known.
On the streets of the picturesque old town, Luxemburgers are split. "It's really him to made a big error of judgement, you can't blame the government," says one woman in her fifties. "I am very disappointed in him".
"This was the right moment. All they've done is just to change the law to adapt to what has been the practice for 150 years," says Guibert, a translator. "I think Henri will be very happy with the arrangement. He will finally have the chance to get out of the political process. It's not his job and he prefers not to have to get involved."
A dapper pensioner, Ferdinand, sitting in the Bar de la Presse added: "It's a scandal. He should never have overstepped the line in this way."
Enduring popularity
Despite the changes, the Grand Duke need not worry that he will become a redundant figure. His portrait adorns pubs and restaurants across the country, including the walls of the Cercle Munster, an exclusive private club for Luxembourg's elite.
"The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg can't live without its Grand Duke. He's part of our identity," says George Wagner, the manager of the Cercle Munster. "And he plays a huge role for us abroad. He's helped put Luxembourg on the map and brings in business. Most of us are very proud of him."
Monarch refuses to sign euthanasia bill on moral grounds
By Vanessa Mock
The miniscule Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is being gripped by a furore that is set to leave its beloved monarch stripped of his political powers.
Grand Duke Henri has triggered an unprecedented constitutional crisis in the usually sedate principality after opposing a proposed bill to allow euthanasia. According to the constitution, the hereditary monarch must formally approve any new legislation put forward by the parliament, though until now, no one in the Duchy's dynasty has ever challenged the democratic process. But on December 2, Henri, a devout Catholic, refused to sign off the euthanasia bill on moral grounds, setting the wheels of historic constitutional change in motion. Later that same day, a parliamentary committee agreed to cut him out of the political process in a proposal that is set to be approved on Thursday.
"It's just one clause that's changing but it represents an enormous loss of monarchical rights," Professor Paul Margue, a historian, said in an interview. "You might be right to ask what then is the point of having a Grand Duke at all?"
Meddling monarch
But although the popular Henri, a handsome, affable 53-year old, is highly unlikely to be deposed, his public image has been tarnished by the affair. "He badly overstepped his mark by meddling in politics. No Grand Duke has ever before opposed a law before it's been approved by the parliament," says Lucien Montebrusco, political editor with the Luxembourg daily, Tageblatt. "He was pushed into taking a stand by the Catholic Church. They used him to try to make sure that this law would not get a majority."
Many commentators also point the finger of blame at Henri's Cuban wife, Maria-Theresa, who is thought to belong to a fundamentalist wing of the Catholic Church. "She may well have played a role but either way, he has brought it on himself. We can't have a stand off between the parliament and the monarch over this, so they have to work fast to avoid such an institutional crisis."
"Constitutional castration"
Although Henri backs this overhaul to the constitution, the move has divided the nation's 400,000 inhabitants. Newspapers have applauded the push to finally axe this outdated practice, while others have derided it as ‘constitutional castration'. Marie-Josée Frank, a parliamentarian with the Christian-Social Party, is outraged: "This is our Grand Duke we are talking about here. We can't just make huge decisions like this overnight. And everything is being thrown into this discussion instead of taking things one step at a time."
The lightning-speed with which these changes have been pushed through have also raised eyebrows, with some commentators pointing to Prime Minister Jean-Paul Juncker's huge eagerness in the process - the animosity between Juncker and Henri is well-known.
On the streets of the picturesque old town, Luxemburgers are split. "It's really him to made a big error of judgement, you can't blame the government," says one woman in her fifties. "I am very disappointed in him".
"This was the right moment. All they've done is just to change the law to adapt to what has been the practice for 150 years," says Guibert, a translator. "I think Henri will be very happy with the arrangement. He will finally have the chance to get out of the political process. It's not his job and he prefers not to have to get involved."
A dapper pensioner, Ferdinand, sitting in the Bar de la Presse added: "It's a scandal. He should never have overstepped the line in this way."
Enduring popularity
Despite the changes, the Grand Duke need not worry that he will become a redundant figure. His portrait adorns pubs and restaurants across the country, including the walls of the Cercle Munster, an exclusive private club for Luxembourg's elite.
"The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg can't live without its Grand Duke. He's part of our identity," says George Wagner, the manager of the Cercle Munster. "And he plays a huge role for us abroad. He's helped put Luxembourg on the map and brings in business. Most of us are very proud of him."
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
On Belgium I found this:
...The Struggle to Decriminalize Euthanasia
After the April 1990 vote on the decriminalization of abortion, King Baudouin had made public the “serious problem of conscience” which confronted him. He was concerned that the proposed law would bring about a “decrease in respect for the life of those who are the weakest”. The King thereby invoked his right to freedom of thought, which is the right of any citizen, and requested that Government and Parliament find a legal solution to the problem. The Prime Minister belonged to the CVP, the Flemish Catholic party. His party had opposed the passage of the law initiated by Parliament. The Government he presided over declared that, for one day, the King was unable to reign, during which interval the Government formalized the ratification and promulgation of the law...
More on Belgium's Legalization of Euthanasia
and this:
The Belgian parliament legalized euthanasia in late September 2002. Proponents of euthanasia state that prior to the law, several thousand illegal acts of euthanasia were carried out in Belgium each year. According to proponents, the legislation incorporated a complicated process, which has been criticized as an attempt to establish a "bureaucracy of death".
...The Struggle to Decriminalize Euthanasia
After the April 1990 vote on the decriminalization of abortion, King Baudouin had made public the “serious problem of conscience” which confronted him. He was concerned that the proposed law would bring about a “decrease in respect for the life of those who are the weakest”. The King thereby invoked his right to freedom of thought, which is the right of any citizen, and requested that Government and Parliament find a legal solution to the problem. The Prime Minister belonged to the CVP, the Flemish Catholic party. His party had opposed the passage of the law initiated by Parliament. The Government he presided over declared that, for one day, the King was unable to reign, during which interval the Government formalized the ratification and promulgation of the law...
More on Belgium's Legalization of Euthanasia
and this:
The Belgian parliament legalized euthanasia in late September 2002. Proponents of euthanasia state that prior to the law, several thousand illegal acts of euthanasia were carried out in Belgium each year. According to proponents, the legislation incorporated a complicated process, which has been criticized as an attempt to establish a "bureaucracy of death".