Xavier Bettel

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His Excellency

Xavier Bettel
Xavier Bettel, 2017.jpg
Bettel in 2017
22nd Prime Minister of Luxembourg
Assumed office
4 December 2013
MonarchHenri
DeputyFrançois Bausch
Dan Kersch
Preceded byJean-Claude Juncker
Minister for Communications and Media
Assumed office
4 December 2013
Preceded byFrançois Biltgen
Mayor of Luxembourg City
In office
24 November 2011 – 4 December 2013
Preceded byPaul Helminger
Succeeded byLydie Polfer
Personal details
Born (1973-03-03) 3 March 1973 (age 48)
Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Political partyDemocratic Party
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 2015)​
Alma materAristotle University of Thessaloniki
Nancy 2 University

Xavier Bettel (Luxembourgish pronunciation: [ˈksɑvieː ˈbətəl]; born 3 March 1973) is a Luxembourg politician who has been Prime Minister of Luxembourg since 2013. He has previously served as Mayor of Luxembourg City, and was also a Member of the Chamber of Deputies.[1][2]

Bettel is a member of the Democratic Party.[3] Following the 2018 Luxembourg general election he became the first openly gay Prime Minister in the world to be re-elected for a second term.[4][5]

Early life[]

Bettel was born on 3 March 1973 in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg Canton, Luxembourg. His father, Claude Bettel, was a wine merchant and his mother, Aniela, is of French-Russian-Polish-Jewish descent,[6] and a grandniece of the composer Sergei Rachmaninoff.[7][8][9] After completing his secondary school studies at the Lycée Hélène Boucher in Thionville,[10] Bettel obtained a master's degree in Public and European Law and a DEA in Political Science and Public Law from Nancy 2 University in Nancy, France.[11][12] He also studied maritime law as well as canon law at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Greece, where he was studying thanks to the Erasmus Programme.[13] For four years in the early 2000s he hosted Sonndes em 8, a weekly talkshow, on the now-defunct private T.TV television network.[14][15] In 2017, he also received an Honorary doctorate from Sacred Heart University Luxembourg.[16][17]

Political life[]

Municipal politics[]

In the , Bettel was elected to Luxembourg City's communal council, finishing sixth on the DP's list. Two years after his election to the local Council, on 12 July 2001, he was certified as a lawyer.[2] By the time of the , Bettel had significantly consolidated his position, and finished fourth (of the five DP members elected), assuring him a seat in the Chamber of Deputies.[18] On 28 November 2005, after the in which he was placed fourth on the DP list, Bettel was appointed échevin in the Council of Luxembourg City.[2]

Following municipal elections on 9 October 2011, Bettel was sworn in as Mayor of Luxembourg on 24 November 2011.[19][20]

National politics[]

Bettel ran for the Chamber of Deputies in the 1999 legislative election, and finished 10th amongst DP candidates in the Centre constituency, with the top seven being elected.[21] However, the DP overtook the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP) as the second-largest party, and its members formed the majority of the new government as the Christian Social People's Party's (CSV) coalition partners. Thus, with Lydie Polfer and Anne Brasseur vacating their seats to take roles in the government, and Colette Flesch not taking her seat so as to focus on her role as Member of the European Parliament, Bettel was appointed to the Chamber, starting 12 August 1999.[2]

Prime Minister[]

First term[]

In 2013, Bettel was elected leader of the Democratic Party, and in the 2013 election, led the party to a third-ranked position in parliamentary seats. On 25 October, Bettel was designated by Grand Duke Henri as the formateur for the next government.[22] He assumed his post as Luxembourg's Prime Minister on 4 December 2013. In the government's coalition of the Democratic Party, Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party and The Greens, he leads the cabinet with Co-Deputy Prime Ministers Étienne Schneider and Félix Braz. In his first term, he also holds the functions of Minister of State, Minister for Communications and the Media, Minister for Culture and Minister for Religious Affairs.[2]

Second term[]

Following the 2018 Luxembourg general election, he became the first openly gay prime minister in the world to be re-elected for a second term. He began his second term when his government was formed on 5 December 2018.,[23] which he currently leads with Co-Deputy Prime Ministers François Bausch and Dan Kersch. The government is a continuation between the Democratic Party (DP), the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP), and The Greens from the Bettel I government, with minor changes.

On 16 September 2019, following a short bilateral meeting on the status of Brexit negotiations, Bettel continued a press conference without British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, after Johnson abruptly pulled out due to an anti-Brexit protest held by British citizens living in Luxembourg.[24] Bettel gestured towards Johnson's empty podium and confirmed that the UK government had not tabled any concrete proposals for amendments to the UK's Withdrawal Agreement, particularly the "Irish backstop" that Johnson wishes to replace.[25] This being despite the public pronouncements of Prime Minister Johnson and the UK's departure date from the EU fast approaching.[25] Pro-Brexit UK media reported the matter as an ambush,[26] whilst other UK and international media outlets largely saw the incident, and the reaction of pro-Brexit UK media outlets to it, as confirming the empty bravado and rhetoric of Johnson's premiership, the reduced status of the UK post-Brexit, and the increasing hypersensitivity and aversion of pro-Brexit pundits and politicians to criticism.[27][24][25][28][29][30]

Personal life[]

Bettel is gay,[31] and has stated that increasingly in Luxembourg "people do not consider the fact of whether someone is gay or not". Bettel is Luxembourg's first openly gay Prime Minister and, worldwide, the third openly gay head of government following Iceland's Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir (2009–2013) and Belgium's Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo (2011–2014).[32] As of 2020, he is one of two openly gay world leaders in office, the other being Ana Brnabić, the Prime Minister of Serbia.

Bettel has been married to Gauthier Destenay since 2015,[33] the same year that same-sex marriage was introduced to Luxembourg.[34][35]

COVID-19 hospitalization[]

On 4 July 2021, Bettel was admitted to hospital following a COVID-19 diagnosis on 27 June. The move was initially described as precautionary and for tests. It was reported that he experienced "mild symptoms" such as high temperature and headache.[36] The following day, it was reported that he was in a "serious but stable" condition and would remain hospitalized.[37] On 7 July 2021, the government said that Bettel would remain hospitalized a "little bit longer" due to low saturation of oxygen in his blood and said that he was recovering "little by little".[38] On 8 July 2021, Bettel was discharged from hospital and will resume activities soon via telework for the rest of his isolation period. Bettel thanked health authorities for the treatment during his hospitalization.[39][40]

Honours and awards[]

Award or decoration Country Date
Order of Civil Merit (Spain) - Crosses.svg Order of Civil Merit  Spain 2007[citation needed]
NLD Order of Orange-Nassau - Grand Officer BAR.png Order of Orange-Nassau (Grand Officer)  Netherlands 2012[citation needed]
LUX Order of the Oak Crown - Grand Cross BAR.png Order of the Oak Crown (Knight Grand cross)  Luxembourg 2014[41][42]
Legion Honneur Commandeur ribbon.svg Legion of Honour (Commandeur)  France 2015[citation needed]
BEL Kroonorde Grootkruis BAR.svg Order of the Crown (Grand Cross)  Belgium 2017[43]
PRT Order of Prince Henry - Grand Cross BAR.png Order of Prince Henry (Grand Cross)  Portugal 2017[44]
EST Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana - 1st Class BAR.png Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (Member 1st Class)  Estonia 2018[45]
NLD Order of Orange-Nassau - Knight Grand Cross BAR.png Order of Orange-Nassau (Knight Grand Cross)  Netherlands 2018[citation needed]
Orden Republike Srbije.gif Order of the Republic of Serbia[46] (Grand Collar, Serbia's highest award)  Serbia 2020

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Xavier Bettel". Ville de Luxembourg. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "Xavier Bettel". Bettel, Xavier: Biographie. Gouvernement du Grand Duché de Luxembourg. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  3. ^ Reuters (4 December 2013). "Xavier Bettel Is Luxembourg's First Gay Prime Minister". Huffington Post. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  4. ^ Anderson, Emma (16 October 2018). "Xavier Bettel asked to form next Luxembourg government". POLITICO.
  5. ^ "Bettel appointed 'formateur' of new government". luxtimes.lu. 16 October 2018.
  6. ^ "Luxembourg's PM refuses to see European values 'erased with tipp-ex'". 11 October 2016.
  7. ^ "Xavier Bettel, un jeune libéral pressé". Le Républicain Lorrain. 26 October 2013.
  8. ^ "Vielleicht nicht der beliebteste Premier". revue.lu. 18 December 2013. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
  9. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ^ Brach, Jean-Luc (25 October 2016). "Quand l'IT rencontre l'espace" [When IT meets space]. www.itone.lu (in French). Retrieved 18 July 2019. Le Lycée Hélène Boucher de Thionville est LE lycée de la Grande Région. Grand nombre d’élèves Luxembourgeois et Belges y font ou y ont fait leurs études. Xavier Bettel, entre autre, a été l’un d’entre eux.
  11. ^ "Xavier Bettel, un "fêtard" qui se remarquait". L'Essentiel Online. 5 November 2013.
  12. ^ "Wie Xavier Bettel als Student Party machte". L'Essentiel Online. 5 November 2013.
  13. ^ "Well-known Erasmus students – inspiring careers" (PDF). Programma LLP. p. 7.
  14. ^ "TV Talkshow "Sonndes em 8" [1/2] (2005)". chienguidelux via YouTube. 2005.
  15. ^ Strätz, Susanne (21 March 2007). "Luxemburg:Finanzmetropole im Modellbahn-Look". Der Spiegel.
  16. ^ "Luxembourg's Prime Minister becomes "Doctor" - Delano - Luxembourg in English". Delano. 16 June 2017.
  17. ^ Bettel, Xavier (15 June 2017). "Honoured that I have been awarded Doctor Honoris Causa by the Sacred Heart University Luxembourg on their 25. anniversarypic.twitter.com/i5RbQynZzo".
  18. ^ "2004: Circonscription Centre". Service Information et Presse. 7 April 2009. Retrieved 10 April 2009.
  19. ^ "Xavier Bettel - Luxembourg City's new Mayor", Wort.lu, 10 October 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  20. ^ "Xavier Bettel sworn in as capital's mayor", Wort.lu, 24 November 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2011
  21. ^ "1999: Circonscription Centre". Service Information et Presse. 7 April 2009. Retrieved 10 April 2009.
  22. ^ "Xavier Bettel officially in charge of forming new Luxembourg government". Luxemburger Wort. 25 October 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  23. ^ "Luxembourg PM Bettel begins second term of coalition government". Reuters. 5 December 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  24. ^ Jump up to: a b Boffey, Daniel (17 September 2019). "Boris Johnson humiliated by Luxembourg PM at 'empty chair' press conference". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  25. ^ Jump up to: a b c Fleming, Sam; Brunsden, Jim; Parker, George (16 September 2019). "Boris Johnson frustrates EU with dearth of fresh Brexit detail". Financial Times. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  26. ^ Rayner, Gordon; Yorke, Harry; Rothwell, James (16 September 2019). "Brexit latest news: Boris Johnson walks into ambush as Luxembourg's PM holds press conference next to empty podium". The Telegraph. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  27. ^ Smyth, Patrick (25 September 2019). "What the Boris-Bettel show said about European discourse | Europe Letter: To the British, last week's podium moment was a humiliation – but they misread the signals". The Irish Times. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  28. ^ Fuentes, Ángel Gómez (16 September 2019). "Johnson forzado a huir de los abucheos en Luxemburgo". abc (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  29. ^ Peeperkorn, Marc (16 September 2019). "Brexitlunch met Juncker loopt uit op koude douche voor Boris Johnson". de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  30. ^ Skarżyński, Stanisław (17 September 2019). "Premier Luksemburga brutalnie zadrwił z Borisa Johnsona [BREXIT Z BLISKA]". wyborcza.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  31. ^ "Je suis surpris de devenir bourgmestre". L'essentiel. 11 October 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
  32. ^ "Leo Varadkar, gay son of Indian immigrant, to be next Irish PM." The Guardian. 2 June 2017 Retrieved 2017-06-03.
  33. ^ "Luxembourg PM first EU leader to marry same-sex partner". BBC News. 15 May 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  34. ^ "Luxembourg Prime Minister engaged to be married". Luxemburger Wort. 21 August 2014.
  35. ^ "Xavier Bettel and Gauthier Destenay say 'I do'". Luxemburger Wort. 15 May 2015.
  36. ^ Henley, Jon (5 July 2021). "Luxembourg prime minister admitted to hospital with Covid". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  37. ^ News, B. N. O. (5 July 2021). "Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel 'seriously ill' with COVID-19". BNO News. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  38. ^ Hennebert, Jean-Michel (7 July 2021). "Xavier Bettel restera hospitalisé «encore un peu»" [Xavier Bettel will remain hospitalized "a little longer"]. Luxemburger Wort (in French). Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  39. ^ "Xavier Bettel quitte l'hôpital" [Xavier Bettel leaves the hospital] (in French). Government of Luxembourg. 8 July 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  40. ^ AFP (8 July 2021). "Xavier Bettel leaves hospital after Covid case". RTL Today. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  41. ^ Publié le samedi 14 juin 2014 à 11:45 (14 June 2014). "Luxemburger Wort - Xavier Bettel honoré par le Grand-Duc". Wort.lu. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  42. ^ Published on Saturday, 14 June 2014 at 08:31 (14 June 2014). "Luxemburger Wort - Bettel receives Grand Ducal order". Wort.lu. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  43. ^ Remise de la grand-croix de l'ordre de la Couronne à Xavier Bettel par Charles Michel Archived 2 February 2018 at the Wayback Machine on www.gouvernement.lu
  44. ^ GouvernementLU [@gouv_lu] (23 May 2017). "Dîner de gala au palais grand-ducal" (Tweet) – via Twitter./photo/1
  45. ^ "Vabariigi President".
  46. ^ Serbia, RTS, Radio televizija Srbije, Radio Television of. "Одликовања за заслужне појединце и институције – захвалност онима који се боре за животе грађана". www.rts.rs. Retrieved 11 November 2020.

External links[]

Political offices
Preceded by
Paul Helminger 		Mayor of Luxembourg City
2011–2013 		Succeeded by
Lydie Polfer
Preceded by
François Biltgen 		Minister for Communications and Media
2013–present 		Incumbent
Minister for Religious Affairs
2013–present
Preceded by
Jean-Claude Juncker 		Prime Minister of Luxembourg
2013–present
Party political offices
Preceded by
Claude Meisch 		Leader of the Democratic Party
2013–present 		Incumbent
Retrieved from ""