National Union Government (1945)
The National Union Government was a form of
Background
After the liberation of the Grand Duchy in 1944, a temporary government comprising the
However, after the war was concluded, Luxembourg returned to political functionality.
Forming the government
Atypically, Grand Duchess Charlotte decided to intervene in the political sphere, and asked CSV leader Pierre Dupong (who had been Prime Minister since 1937) to form a broader based coalition than Dupong had organised behind his Liberation Government. On 14 November, Dupong invited all four parties in the Chamber of Deputies to unite in his National Union Government. Dupong also included the only independent candidate in the cabinet.[2] As a result, all 51 Deputies were taking the government whip.
The new government had much work to do, and, with no opposition in the legislature, was capable of instituting any plan, provided that the parties could agree policy between themselves. The departmental briefs were handed to cabinet members based upon personal preference. The composition of the first cabinet was:
Name | Party | Office | |
---|---|---|---|
Pierre Dupong | CSV | Armed Forces
| |
Joseph Bech | CSV | Minister for Foreign Affairs and Viticulture
| |
Pierre Krier | LSAP | Minister for Employment, Social Security, and Mines | |
Nicholas Margue | CSV | Minister for Education Minister for Religion, the Arts, Science, and Agriculture | |
Victor Bodson | LSAP | Public Works
| |
Guillaume Konsbruck | Ind.
|
Minister for Supply and Economic Affairs | |
Eugène Schaus | GD
|
Minister for the Interior and War Damage | |
Charles Marx | KPL | Minister for Social Assistance and Public Health | |
Source: Thewes (2003), p. 122 |
Governing the country
With each member virtually free to decide departmental policy by himself, each took it upon himself to push forward his own pet projects. The CSV pushed for the annexation of those Luxembourgish territories lost to
The arrangement distanced the government from the population, which was forced to accept the patchwork of policies, even though over 40% of Luxembourgers had cast their vote for the CSV. Dupong had been revered as the leader of Luxembourg's
Moreover, ideological differences were forcing the government partners apart. The cabinet divided along ideological lines in exactly the manner that the National Union Government was supposed to prevent. Dupong took exception to the LSAP's plans for the railways, whilst the KPL and LSAP attempted to distance themselves from the CSV's irredentism.[4]
Charles Marx died on 13 June 1946 and was replaced by fellow Communist Party member Dominique Urbany eight days later. In addition, on 29 August, the cabinet was reshuffled, with the independent Guillaume Konsbruck replaced by Lambert Schaus, a CSV member.[2] From that date, the cabinet was:
Name | Party | Office | |
---|---|---|---|
Pierre Dupong | CSV | the Armed Forces
| |
Joseph Bech | CSV | Minister for Foreign Affairs and Viticulture
| |
Pierre Krier | LSAP | Minister for Employment, Social Security, and Mines | |
Nicholas Margue | CSV | Minister for Education Minister for Religion, the Arts, Science, and Agriculture | |
Victor Bodson | LSAP | Public Works
| |
Eugène Schaus | GD
|
Minister for Interior and War Damage | |
Lambert Schaus | CSV | Minister for Supply and Economic Affairs | |
Dominique Urbany | KPL | Minister for Social Assistance and Public Health | |
Source: Thewes (2003), pp. 122–3 |
Gomand trial
The Resistance-affiliated newspaper L'Indépendant, edited by Norbert Gomand, had been one of the sharpest critics of the government-in-exile. Finally, the government took the newspaper to court for defamation, in a trial starting in early 1946.
Collapse
The reshuffle, in favour of the CSV, appeased the
See also
- Liberation Government (Luxembourg)
- National Union Government (1916)
Footnotes
References
- Thewes, Guy (July 2003). Les gouvernements du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg depuis 1848 (PDF) (in French) (Édition limitée ed.). Luxembourg City: Service Information et Presse. ISBN 2-87999-118-8. Retrieved 2006-07-06.