In June 2016, just days after his 80th birthday, my father decided he was not going to vote in the UK referendum on remaining in the European Union. A political scientist who had spent much of his working life visiting Germany, Dad had become something of a euro-sceptic, disillusioned with the politicisation of the European project that had initially been a purely economic union. <\/p>\n
But he recognised the Brexit referendum for what it was, a reckless gamble by then-Prime Minister David Cameron to outmanoeuvre the right-wing of his own party and cut off the growing popularity of Nigel Farage\u2019s Ukip. <\/p>\n
Cameron\u2019s gamble came back to bite him. He resigned the day after 52% of the electorate voted in favour of leaving the EU. <\/p>\n
No such fate befell Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel (DP) a year earlier, when his government\u2019s proposals on three questions – to grant foreigners voting rights in general elections, to lower the voting age to 16, and to limit cabinet minister terms to ten years – were all soundly defeated by much larger margins than the Brexit vote. <\/p>\n
Indeed, Bettel managed to retain his role as head of government – in the same coalition with the LSAP and Greens – after the subsequent 2018 elections. The Luxembourg electorate seemed to have moved on from the 2015 referendum and voting did not reflect great dissatisfaction with the coalition parties, nor a significant increase in support for those opposition parties that had supported a the \u201cno\u201d vote in the referendum. <\/p>\n
\nJust like the UK\u2019s relationship with the EU since the Brexit vote, the topic of foreigners\u2019 voting rights is one that raises its head again and again in Luxembourg<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
But, just like the UK\u2019s relationship with the EU since the Brexit vote, the topic of foreigners\u2019 voting rights is one that raises its head again and again in Luxembourg. In the lead up to the tenth anniversary of the referendum, foreigners\u2019 rights group Asti published a poll, conducted by Ilres, that suggested a change of heart among the Luxembourg electorate<\/a>, with 58% supporting the extension of voting rights.<\/p>\n
Some voices are now claiming that the latest poll figures are evidence that a fresh referendum should be called. However, the government is quite rightly wary of asking the electorate to go to the ballot box again, especially so soon after the 12-month period from June 2023 to June 2024 when it voted in local, national and European elections. <\/p>\n
Also, less than two years into its mandate, Luc Frieden\u2019s coalition faces a swathe of criticism<\/a> over its lack of engagement with social partners on topics such as the pension reform and extending shop opening hours. It is widely recognised that referendums can be used by the electorate as a sort of mid-term poll on an incumbent government\u2019s performance, and that is not something the prime minister is willing to risk right now. <\/p>\n