The Chancellor

Pursuant to the Constitution of Lexembourg, the Lord High Chancellor is Head of Her Majesty's Government. The primary duty of the Chancellor is to act as chief executive of the Grand Duchy of Lexembourg. One of the Chancellor’s duties is to meet weekly with the Grand Duchess. It is the Chancellor’s privilege that these audiences are completely private and any matters discussed are done so in the strictest of confidence.

Eligibility, Election and Inauguration

There are certain eligibility requirements to those wishing to stand for election to the Chancery. Firstly, the candidate must have reached the age of thirty years. Second, he must be a citizen of the Grand Duchy of Lexembourg, and have been resident for the last nine years without interruption. Thirdly, he must not have served as Chancellor for more than one term. Once elected, a Chancellor may not hold any other public office or office of profit under the Crown – thus, no person can serve concurrently as Chancellor and as a Senator.

Chancellors are elected to serve a four-year term, and may serve a maximum of two terms. The Constitution states that the second ballot system be employed in Chancery elections to ensure the winner has an absolute majority of votes and a clear mandate to govern. If no candidate receives an absolute majority in the first round of voting, the two candidates with the most votes contest a second round, in which one will always triumph over the other. Chancellors are always elected with a running mate, who will become the Vice Chancellor and first in the line of succession to the Chancery.

Once the election results are verified by the Grand Ducal Electoral Commission, the winner has an audience of the Grand Duchess, in which She will ask Him to form Her Majesty’s Government. The Chancellor will kiss the Grand Duchess’ hand to accept the invitation. The Chancellor’s public inauguration takes place on January 27th. The Grand Duchess and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court administer the Oath of Office on the steps of the Grand Ducal Palace in Ville Lexembourg.

Vacancy

Upon the death in office, resignation or impeachment of the Chancellor, the Vice Chancellor shall succeed him as chief executive and Head of Her Majesty’s Government. Although the succession is immediate, any executive acts are not legally binding until the Oath of Office has been administered by the Grand Duchess and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Should the now-Chancellor die, resign or be impeached, the powers and duties of the Chancery pass to the President of the Senate.

Impeachment

Pursuant to the Constitution, the Chancellor of Lexembourg can be impeached for treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanours. Impeachment occurs in two stages. Firstly the Senate must, in plenary session, pass an edict which will allow the chamber to be constituted as a court of impeachment. Such an edict does not require the Chancellor’s signature, but must be signed and sealed by the Grand Duchess. Once this has been done, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court will summon the Chancellor to the Senate for the impeachment. Both sides may present evidence and call witnesses, the Chief Justice acts as presiding officer of the proceedings. Upon a two-thirds majority vote of Senators, the Chancellor will be impeached, at which point he will be summoned to the Grand Duchess to be dismissed.

Jean-Baptiste Royal

His Excellency Jean-Baptiste Royal is the current Lord High Chancellor of Lexembourg. Royal first took office in 2006 after winning an impressive majority in the second round ballot. Royal was re-elected and was inaugurated for his second term in January 2010, although with a vastly decreased majority, and his approval ratings have plunged since then.

Royal capitalised on the unpopularity of the ruling Parti National Lexembourgienne, which had been clinging onto the Chancery and the Senate for sixteen long years. Harsh budget cuts under the incumbent Chancellor Victor Lacroix had prevented Lexembourg falling into recession like her European neighbours, but had not engendered the party to the populace, who thought the cuts too strict and unnecessary. In his first term, Royal increased public spending. In order to prevent a budget deficit, Royal was forced to increase corporation tax and value added tax, which earned him the scorn of the populace. The Parti National regained control of the Senate in the 2007 elections, and Royal battled on against a hostile legislature, with mostly negative results. The people have tended to see Royal as an ineffective leader, although it could be argued that the failure of much of his legislation is due to the composition of the Senate - the Parti National have more seats than Royal's own Parti de l'Unité Lexembourgienne, and when working with the support of the independent members, can easily defeat his initiatives. In spite of this, Royal was returned for a second term in the 2009 General Election. The Parti National held onto the Senate with an increased majority. Royal only scraped victory, though he was not expected to win. His reelection has been attributed to the unpopularity of the Parti National's candidate for Vice Chancellor, Segolene du Pont. Since his reelection, Royal has come under fire from civil rights groups for increasing port and airport security.