Resident foreigners encouraged to vote at municipal elections in Luxembourg
In view of the upcoming municipal elections to be held on 9 October 2011, the national government of Luxembourg and the Association of Luxembourg Cities and Municipalities (SYVICOL) launched an information and.awareness-raising campaign to encourage the foreign residents of Luxembourg to register to vote.
Luxembourg's legislation allows foreign residents to vote in local elections as long as they have lived in the country for more than five years, bearing in mind that, as of 1 January 2011, 43.2% of the population of Luxembourg was composed of foreigners.
A dedicated website has thus been launched so as to inform foreign residents on their rights, the procedures they have to follow to register and how the electoral system functions in Luxembourg.
Some municipalities are also undertaking independent initiatives at the local level so as to better mobilise this potential electorate.
Local authorities of Luxembourg and CEMR
The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) has one member association in Luxembourg: the Association of Luxembourg Cities and Municipalities (SYVICOL).
SYVICOL aims at establishing a close and permanent cooperation between its members, at representing the municipalities of Luxembourg vis-à-vis the national government, and at delivering opinions on draft legislation of relevance to local authorities. The association also represents its members in European and international institutions and promotes cross-border cooperation between the municipalities of Luxembourg and foreign local authorities.
Local authorities in Luxembourg were represented at national level for the firsy time in 1951 thanks to the creation of the Luxembourg section of CEMR. In 1963, this section became the Association of Luxembourg Towns and Municipalities, which in 1986 was transformed into SYVICOL, a union of municipalities, with the aim of better representing the municipal sector in Luxembourg's public institutions.
SYVICOL is currently presided over by Dan Kersch, mayor of Mondercange, and represents all of Luxembourg's municipalities. It has now become the official spokesperson for municipalities and the national government's partner in all matters relating to the municipal sector.
Local government in Luxembourg
Luxembourg is a unitary state composed of 116 municipalities.
More information on local and regional authorities in Luxembourg
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Climate, Sustainable Finance Officer
