Paperjam.lu

Grand Duke Henri meets Xavier Bettel (on left), 16 October 2018. Photo credit: Cour grand-ducale/Sophie Margue 

The grand duke made the appointment after receiving a report from Martine Solovieff, the attorney general acting as “informateur”, who independently brokers coalition talks.

According to a statement issued by the lord chamberlain’s office on 16 October, Solovieff had told the grand duke that the DP, LSAP and Green party had formally “expressed their willingness to start negotiations to form a coalition.”

The three parties collectively won 31 out of 60 seats in Sunday’s election.

However, an agreement on coalition policy positions and cabinet posts will need to be hammered out, as the Greens gained seats, LSAP lost seats and the DP higher education minister, Marc Hansen, was not returned to parliament.

As Paperjam pointed out, the coalition talks could last until early December, with the new government possibly taking office in mid-December.

Bettel remains interim prime minister.