The state and its institutions Groussherzog, Chamber a Regierung
How Luxembourg is governed: the Grand Duke, the Chamber of Deputies, the government, and the elections that put them there. The words are the ones the news and official texts use.
By the end of this lesson you can
- Name the head of state, the head of government and the main bodies.
- Say how parliament and the government work together.
- Talk about general and local elections and who may vote.
- Read a news item about a bill or a change of government.
29 words and phrases
- de Groussherzog
- the Grand Duke Plural: d'Groussherzoge.
- d'Groussherzogtum
- the grand duchy Plural: d'Groussherzogtemer.
- groussherzoglech
- grand ducal
- d'Monarchie
- monarchy
- de Staatschef
- head of state Plural: d'Staatscheffen.
- de Premierminister
- prime minister Plural: d'Premierministeren.
- de Regierungsmember
- member of the government Plural: d'Regierungsmemberen.
- de Ministerrot
- council of ministers Plural: d'Ministerréit.
- d'Koalitioun
- coalition Plural: d'Koalitiounen.
- d'Oppositioun
- opposition Plural: d'Oppositiounen.
- de Chamberpresident
- president of the Chamber of Deputies
- de Gesetzesprojet
- bill, draft law Plural: d'Gesetzesprojeten.
- de Gesetzesvirschlag
- proposed law Plural: d'Gesetzesvirschléi.
- d'Chamberwal
- general election (Chamber of Deputies) Plural: d'Chamberwalen.
- d'Gemengewal
- local election Plural: d'Gemengewalen.
- d'Gemengefusioun
- merger of municipalities Plural: d'Gemengefusiounen.
- de Wieler
- voter Plural: d'Wieler.
- d'Stëmmrecht
- the right to vote
- d'Staatsbiergerschaft
- citizenship, nationality Plural: d'Staatsbiergerschaften.
- de Regierungswiessel
- change of government
- parlamentaresch
- parliamentary
- deponéieren
- to table, to submit
- diplomatesch
- diplomatic
- d'Bezéiung
- relations
- ophuelen
- to take up, to include
- erëmwielen
- to re-elect
- d'Direktwal
- direct election
- proklaméieren
- to proclaim
- amendéieren
- to amend
Grammar
Compound nouns in politics
Political words are mostly compounds, and the last part gives the gender and the plural: Wal is feminine, so d'Chamberwal and d'Gemengewal are too, with the plurals Chamberwalen and Gemengewalen.
Some compounds add a linking -s- or -es-: Staatschef, Regierungswiessel, Gesetzesprojet. Others join directly: Chamberpresident, Koalitioun. The dictionary gives each one as it is written, so learn it as one word.
- D'Regierung huet de Gesetzesprojet an der Chamber deponéiert. — The government submitted the bill to the Chamber.
- Nom Regierungswiessel huet d'Land nei diplomatesch Bezéiunge mam Nopeschland opgeholl. — After the change of government the country took up new diplomatic relations with its neighbour.
Elections in the plural, and the n-rule
An election is often spoken of in the plural: no de Walen, bei de Chamberwale. Here the final n of the plural follows the n-rule: it stays before a vowel and before d, t, z, n, h, and drops before other sounds.
- No de Walen ass meng Partei an d'Oppositioun gaangen. — After the elections my party went into opposition.
- Bei de Chamberwale vum Oktober ass nëmme méi een Deputéierten aus eiser Partei erëmgewielt ginn. — In the general elections in October only one deputy from our party was re-elected.
- Den Noper huet sech fir d'Gemengewalen opgesat. — The neighbour has stood in the local elections.
Institutions speak in the passive
News and official texts say who was elected, announced or amended with ginn and the past participle: d'Deputéiert ginn gewielt. The past is gouf or ass … ginn.
The n of ginn drops before a consonant, as the n-rule says: gi vum Chamberpresident proklaméiert.
- D'Deputéiert ginn duerch Direktwal gewielt. — The deputies are elected by direct election.
- D'Resultater vum Vott gi vum Chamberpresident proklaméiert. — The results of the vote are announced by the president of the Chamber.
- Den Artikel 5 vum Gesetzesprojet gouf vun der Kommissioun amendéiert. — Article 5 of the bill was amended by the committee.
Practice
14 exercises: multiple choice, typing, matching pairs and word order.