Santer-Poos II Government
Santer-Poos II Government | |
|---|---|
 Cabinet of Luxembourg | |
| 1989-1994 | |
 Santer (left) and Poos (right) in 1989 | |
| Date formed | 14 July 1989 |
| Date dissolved | 13 July 1994 (4 years, 11 months, 4 weeks and 1 day) |
| People and organisations | |
| Grand Duke | Jean |
| Prime Minister | Jacques Santer |
| Deputy Prime Minister | Jacques Poos |
| Total no. of members | 12 |
| Member parties | CSV LSAP |
| Status in legislature | Centre-left to centre-right coalition government |
| Opposition parties | DP ADR GLEI GAP KPL |
| Opposition leader | Henri Grethen[a] |
| History | |
| Election | 1989 general election |
| Legislature term | 28th Legislature of the Chamber of Deputies |
| Predecessor | Santer-Poos I Government |
| Successor | Santer-Poos III Government |
The Santer-Poos II Government was the government of Luxembourg between 14 July 1989 and 13 July 1994. It was the second of three led by, and named after, Prime Minister Jacques Santer. Throughout the ministry, the Deputy Prime Minister was Jacques Poos.
It was formed following the general election of 1989. It represented a coalition between Santer's Christian Social People's Party (CSV) and Poos' Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP), which had once more been elected the largest and second-largest parties in the legislature.
Background
[edit]The general election of 18 June 1989 confirmed the existing government coalition in power.[1]: 210 The CSV received 22 seats, with the LSAP receiving 18.[1]: 210 This gave the CSV-LSAP government a solid majority in the legislature, amid a divided opposition.[1]: 210 From then on, 7 parties were represented in the Chamber of Deputies.[1]: 210 In addition to the traditional parties, the CSV, the LSAP, the Democratic Party, and the Communist Party, there were two Green parties and an Action Committee for Democracy and Pensions Justice.[1]: 210
Reshuffle
[edit]The government was reshuffled on 9 December 1992 after René Steichen was appointed to the European Commission.[1]: 210 Marie-Josée Jacobs took over the portfolios of Agriculture and Cultural Affairs.[1]: 210
Foreign policy
[edit]In the European integration process, Luxembourg saw itself as both a mediator and a builder.[2] When the Single Market came into force on 1 January 1993, this opened new perspectives for the Luxembourgish economy, which depended almost entirely on foreign markets.[1]: 213 However, economic integration also presented dangers. During EC negotiations, the Luxembourgish government opposed a harmonisation of indirect taxation, which would have been harmful to cross-border trade; and also opposed a withholding tax, which would have seen capital flee from the Luxembourg financial centre.[1]: 213
The question of the seat of European institutions played a major role in the essential interests of the Grand-Duchy.[1]: 213 In the decision of Edinburgh on 12 December 1992, the government succeeded in making permanent the establishment in Luxembourg of those organs and services which had until then been there provisionally.[1]: 213 It also managed to obtain the headquarters of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union, and that of the Court of First Instance.[1]: 213 Apart from European integration, the key elements of the government's foreign policy were promotion of foreign trade, attracting investments, and development aid.[1]: 213
Economic policy
[edit]The period of 1989-1994 was marked by the launch of the Single European Market (1993) and Luxembourg's definitive integration in the economic part of the European Community.[3] From the early 1990s, there was an increase in cross-border movements, which benefited the Luxembourgish economy and supported growth.[3] For its economic development, Luxembourg was strongly dependent on trade with neighbouring regions.[3] The Greater Region not only provided an increasing proportion of the workforce, but also contributed significantly to the fiscal stability of the Grand Duchy through the direct and indirect taxes paid by the cross-border workers.[3]
The medium-term future of the steel industry seemed secure, even though employment continued to decrease in this industrial branch.[3] ARBED pursued its programmes of improving its productivity and re-centring on its strategic activities.[3] The government concentrated its efforts on regional aid, small and medium businesses and research and development.[3] Thus, the decrease in jobs in steel was partially compensated by the creation of 45 businesses from 1989 to 1993.[3] Particular attention was given to the media and audiovisual sectors.[3] Through the law of 11 April 1990 on the creation of a National Fund for the Support of Audiovisual Production and the law of 27 July 1991 on electronic media, the government tried to put the country in a favourable position for a market with strong growth potential.[3]
The financial centre, which continued to develop and diversify, made up an increasing part of GDP.[4] In 1992, the reintroduction of the withholding tax (Quellensteuer) in Germany led to the establishment of new German banks in the Grand Duchy.[1]: 215 In parallel, the public finances' dependence on the financial sector increased.[1]: 215 In 1994, while the banks only employed one-tenth of the workforce, they paid a quarter of income taxes.[1]: 215 The levies paid by investment funds and holding companies made up a significant part of public revenue.[1]: 215 Confronted with attacks in the international press attempting to discredit banking activities in Luxembourg, the government took measures to strengthen its control over the financial sector.[1]: 215 The law of 7 July 1989 included provisions to act against money-laundering.[1]: 215 The law of 5 April 1993 on the financial sector fixed the conditions of banking secrecy and obliged credit institutions to know their clients.[1]: 215 The law of 22 December 1993 on tax fraud was directed at fraudulent activities which affect the public interest.[1]: 215 This bundle of measures, when hand in hand with a strengthening of the powers of the regulatory authorities, and aimed to safeguard the moral reputation of the Luxembourgish financial centre abroad.[1]: 215
Domestic policy
[edit]The Santer-Poos government enacted a programme which provided for a reform of pensions and health insurance, measures to support families, innovations in secondary education and the consolidation of financing of hospitals.[5]
Government policy also increasingly took environmental protection into consideration.[1]: 216 The government launched a campaign to make the public aware of the problem of energy waste, and created an Energy Agency to promote energy savings.[1]: 216 Environmental policy became an area for cooperation in the Greater Region.[1]: 216
Ministers
[edit]14 July 1989 – 9 December 1992
[edit]| Name | Party | Office[1]: 211 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacques Santer | CSV | Prime Minister Minister for the Treasury Minister for Cultural Affairs | |
| Jacques Poos | LSAP | Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and Cooperation Minister for the Police Force | |
| Fernand Boden | CSV | Minister for the Family and Solidarity Minister for the Middle Class and Tourism | |
| Jean Spautz | CSV | Minister for the Interior Minister for Social Housing and Town Planning | |
| Jean-Claude Juncker | LSAP | Minister for Finances Minister for Work | |
| Marc Fischbach | CSV | Minister for National Education Minister for Justice Minister for the Civil Service | |
| Johny Lahure | LSAP | Minister for Health Minister for Social Security Minister for Physical Education and Sport Minister for Youth | |
| René Steichen | CSV | Minister for Agriculture, Viticulture, and Rural Development Minister-Delegate for Cultural Affairs and Scientific Research | |
| Robert Goebbels | LSAP | Minister for the Economy Minister for Public Works Minister for Transport | |
| Alex Bodry | LSAP | Minister for Planning and the Environment Minister for Energy | |
| Georges Wohlfart | LSAP | Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and Cooperation Secretary of State for the Police Force | |
| Mady Delvaux-Stehres | LSAP | Secretary of State for Health Secretary of State for Social Security Secretary of State for Physical Education and Sport Secretary of State for Youth | |
| Source: Service Information et Presse | |||
9 December 1992 – 13 July 1994
[edit]| Name | Portrait | Party | Office[1]: 212 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacques Santer | .jpg)
|
CSV | Prime Minister Minister for the Treasury Minister for Cultural Affairs | |
| Jacques Poos | .jpg)
|
LSAP | Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and Cooperation Minister for the Police Force | |
| Fernand Boden | .jpg)
|
CSV | Minister for the Family and Solidarity Minister for the Middle Class and Tourism | |
| Jean Spautz | 
|
CSV | Minister for the Interior Minister for Social Housing and Town Planning | |
| Jean-Claude Juncker | 
|
LSAP | Minister for Finances Minister for Work | |
| Marc Fischbach | .jpg)
|
CSV | Minister for National Education and Scientific Research Minister for Justice Minister for the Civil Service | |
| Johny Lahure | .png)
|
LSAP | Minister for Health Minister for Social Security Minister for Physical Education and Sport Minister for Youth | |
| Robert Goebbels | 
|
LSAP | Minister for the Economy Minister for Public Works Minister for Transport | |
| Alex Bodry | .png)
|
LSAP | Minister for Planning and the Environment Minister for Energy Minister for Communications | |
| Marie-Josée Jacobs | .jpg)
|
CSV | Minister for Agriculture, Viticulture, and Rural Development Minister-Delegate for Cultural Affairs | |
| Georges Wohlfart | .jpg)
|
LSAP | Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and Cooperation Secretary of State for the Police Force | |
| Mady Delvaux-Stehres | 
|
LSAP | Secretary of State for Health Secretary of State for Social Security Secretary of State for Physical Education and Sport Secretary of State for Youth | |
References
[edit]- ^ De facto leader of the opposition as the leader of the largest opposition group in the Chamber of Deputes.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa Thewes, Guy (2011). Les gouvernements du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg depuis 1848 (PDF) (in French). Luxembourg City: Service information et presse du gouvernement. ISBN 978-2-87999-212-9.
- ^ Thewes (2011), p. 213
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Thewes (2011), p. 214
- ^ Thewes (2011), p. 215
- ^ Thewes (2011), p. 216