Although the election campaign has not yet been officially launched, the CSV is already in election mode. Their New Year’s reception on 12 January confirmed this to those who still had doubts. After ten years in opposition, the country’s largest party wants to be part of the government in 2023.

“We know that 2023 is a crucial year. We can't miss and we won’t miss! Ten years in opposition is enough!” In a few words, , the co-president of the CSV, set the tone for the New Year’s reception that took place in the cultural centre “Am Sand” in Niederanven--and that of the whole year to come for the party.

After two legislatures led by the DP-LSAP-déi Gréng trio, it is now time for a change at the head of the country--this sentiment was repeated or implied, like a mantra, in the speeches but also in the informal discussions that followed.

Majority quarrels called out

“I believe that a coalition must be able to implement difficult projects. Even more so in times of crisis, such as the present. But it is clear that the current coalition seems incapable of doing so. We feel that it no longer has cohesion and no joint action seems possible,” explained Wiseler, who criticised the quarrels among coalition members at the beginning of the year.

 of this kind took place the day before the CSV event, when the president of the DP, , took aim at the LSAP’s project to reduce the working week. 


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“It makes you wonder what they’ll be throwing at each other in the next few weeks. It could be fun if it weren’t the future of the country that was at stake…” added the co-president of the main opposition party.

In the meantime, his party colleagues pointed out the government’s immobility on the fiscal level or in the housing crisis. As for the health policy, it has “failed” in the eyes of the CSV.

Taking advantage of the momentum of the communal elections

On Thursday evening, six CSV members took to the stage to speak to the 500 or so guests present: the two co-presidents ( and Claude Wiseler), the two fraction leaders ( and ) and the two general secretaries ( and ).

Six voices that tried to speak in unison. In order to prepare for the year 2023, the Christian democrat opposition party is counting on the momentum that the municipal elections of next June could bring to carry the CSV towards the legislative elections of October.

The lists for the latter are to be presented in the wake of the communal elections, at the end of June or beginning of July. “Who will be at the top of the list? We all told ourselves before this evening that we would not answer this question tonight,” said Wiseler with a smile. “Because that’s not the way to find the best solution. The most important thing is to win these elections. Names are secondary. We also launched the great consultation provided for in our statutes in order to find the best candidates. We will see what comes out of it,” he added. 

This story was first published in French on . It has been translated and edited for Delano.