Paulette Lenert is standing for the position of councillor
Photo by RTL
Paulette Lenert, former Minister of Health and current MP for the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP), has officially confirmed her interest in the vacant seat on the State Council. This opportunity arose unexpectedly following the recent resignation of Yves Wagener, who stepped down for personal reasons. Wagener was appointed seven years ago under the quota of the Green Party (Déi Gréng), but the current distribution of seats on the Council indicates that the Socialists are under-represented.
Under Luxembourg law, the number of a party’s representatives on the 21-member State Council depends directly on the number of seats it holds in the Chamber of Deputies. At present, the LSAP holds only three seats, which entitles the party to nominate a candidate for the vacant position. Lenert, who has a background in law, emphasised that her professional profile meets the requirements of the highest advisory body, which is due to formally set out the criteria for candidates in the near future.
Lenert’s move to the State Council will inevitably lead to changes in the composition of parliament. If her nomination is approved by the LSAP General Council and she is elected to the Chamber of Deputies, her seat will be taken by Ben Streff. Streff, a former party manager, received around 5,500 votes in the eastern constituency in the last general election, taking the place on the list immediately after Lenert. It is worth noting that he had previously criticised former ministers from his own party, calling on them to work more actively ‘on the ground’.
Despite her possible move from public politics into an advisory role, Paulette Lenert remains one of the most influential figures in the country. According to the latest Politmonitor poll, she ranks second in the popularity ratings for Luxembourg’s politicians, behind only Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel. The final decision on her nomination will be taken by the party’s 70-member General Council, after which the process will move to the parliamentary vote stage.
