DP prime minister elect Xavier Bettel talking with Carole Dieschbourg and Claude Turmes of Déi Gréng on election night, 14 October 2018. Amid plenty of speculation, all three are among only a dozen politicians who are certain to be in the next government. Anthony Dehez

DP prime minister elect Xavier Bettel talking with Carole Dieschbourg and Claude Turmes of Déi Gréng on election night, 14 October 2018. Amid plenty of speculation, all three are among only a dozen politicians who are certain to be in the next government. Anthony Dehez

The results of the 14 October parliamentary elections have shaken up the likely distribution of cabinet posts in the next government. As coalition negotiations between representatives of party subcommittees come to their conclusion, sources suggest that the coalition partners want to streamline government. This could result in an even split of ministers in a 15-member cabinet, while other constellation could see the DP and LSAP land 6 ministers each, with 5 for Déi Gréng.

With Xavier Bettel retaining the premiership, there is little suggestion in the DP ranks that there would be any change for Pierre Gramegna at finance, Corrine Cahen at the family ministry or Claude Meisch at education. One of the rising stars of the party, Lex Delles, could well land the ministry of the interior, while RTL claims its sources say outgoing agriculture minister Fernand Etgen may well be offered the role of speaker of the Chamber of Deputies.

The agriculture ministry could well be subsumed into a new “super ministry” for sustainable development, headed by François Bausch alongside his Déi Gréng colleagues Carole Dieschbourg and Claude Turmes. With outgoing justice minister Félix Braz being touted as the next vice-premier, possibly with a portfolio that includes immigration, cooperation and domestic security, there is renewed speculation that the Greens would promote qualified lawyer Sam Tanson to the cabinet in charge of the justice ministry.  

The LSAP’s minsters will almost definitely include Jean Asselborn, who is likely to continue as foreign minister, and Roman Schneider, who is being touted to take charge of another new “super ministry” that would be responsible for health and social security. Marc Angel, whose personal vote score was one of the few positives for the socialists at the election, could also well end up in government, as could Franz Fayot. But with the party’s prominent female hopefuls such as Taina Bofferding and Tess Burton failing to get into parliament, the LSAP faces some tough choices on how to fill whatever cabinet quota it gets.