Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Luxembourg)

The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade (Luxembourgish: Ministère des Affaires étrangères et européennes, de la Défense, de la Coopération et du Commerce extérieur, MAE), commonly referred to as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is a ministry of the government of Luxembourg, which comprises a general secretariat and eight directorates. The ministry is headquartered in the Bâtiment Mansfeld in Luxembourg City.^[1]

Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Ministère des Affaires Étrangères et Europeennes
The Mansfeld Building, since 2017 headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs
Ministry overview
Formed	1848; 177 years ago (1848) (as part of the Prime Minister’s Office)
Jurisdiction	Government of Luxembourg
Headquarters	The Mansfeld Building, 9 Rue du Palais de Justice, 1841 Ville-Haute Luxembourg 49°36′44″N 6°07′59″E
Cabinet Minister responsible	The Rt Hon. Xavier Bettel, Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, Cooperation, Foreign Trade and the Greater Region
Minister attending Cabinet responsible	The Rt Hon. Yuriko Backes, Minister of Defence
Child agencies	General Secretariat Directorate of Political Affairs Directorate of European Affairs and International Economic Relations Directorate of Protocol and Chancellery Directorate of Finance and Human Resources The Directorate for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs Directorate of Consular Affairs and International Cultural Relations Directorate of Defence
Website	English-language website

The office of Minister of Foreign Affairs is customarily given to a member of the junior party in a coalition, and usually coincides with that of Deputy Prime Minister. For instance, LSAP politicians Jacques Poos and Jean Asselborn served a combined 34 years as Minister of Foreign Affairs in CSV and DP-led governments, 24 of which as Deputy Prime Minister.

Beginning

The position of Minister for Foreign Affairs has been in continuous existence since the promulgation of Luxembourg's first constitution, in 1848. Until 1937, the position was held concurrently by the Prime Minister,^[2] thus ridding it of any true significance as an office. However, in 1937, Joseph Bech resigned as Prime Minister, but was immediately reappointed as Minister for Foreign Affairs upon Pierre Dupong's premiership. When Bech became Prime Minister again, in 1953, the two jobs were united once more.^[3] Over the next twenty-six years, the jobs were separated and united another two times. However, since 1979, the two positions have been kept in separate hands.

Several times since World War II, the Minister for Foreign Affairs has also been the Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the smaller party in a coalition government; this has especially been the case since the 1980s.

Since 24 March 1936, the title of Minister for Foreign Affairs has been an official one, although the position had been unofficially known by that name since its creation. From the position's creation until 28 November 1857, the Minister went by the title of Administrator-General.^[4] From 1857 until 1936, the Minister went by the title of Director-General.^[5]

Organisation

As of 2017, the Ministry consists of a general secretariat and 8 Directorates:^[6]

• Directorate of Political Affairs
• Directorate of European Affairs and International Economic Relations
• Directorate of Protocol and the Chancellery
• Directorate of Finance and Human Resources
• Directorate of Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Action
• Directorate of Consular Affairs and International Cultural Relations
• Directorate of Defence
• Directorate of Immigration

List of ministers

Minister			Party	Start date	End date	Other posts	Prime Minister
		Gaspard-Théodore-Ignace de la Fontaine	None	1 August 1848	2 December 1848		Himself
		Jean-Jacques Willmar	None	2 December 1848	23 September 1853		Himself
		Charles-Mathias Simons	None	23 September 1853	26 September 1860		Himself
		Baron de Tornaco	None	26 September 1860	3 December 1867		Himself
		Emmanuel Servais	None	3 December 1867	26 December 1874		Himself
		Baron de Blochausen	None	26 December 1874	20 February 1885		Himself
		Édouard Thilges	None	20 February 1885	22 September 1888		Himself
		Paul Eyschen	None	22 September 1888	11 October 1915		Himself
		Mathias Mongenast	None	12 October 1915	6 November 1915		Himself
		Hubert Loutsch	None	6 November 1915	24 February 1916		Himself
		Victor Thorn	None	24 February 1916	19 June 1917		Himself
		Léon Kauffman	PD	19 June 1917	28 September 1918		Himself
		Émile Reuter	PD	28 September 1918	20 March 1925		Himself
		Pierre Prüm	PNI	20 March 1925	16 July 1926		Himself
		Joseph Bech	PD	16 July 1926	5 November 1937		Himself
				5 November 1937	23 November 1944		Pierre Dupong
			CSV	23 November 1944	29 December 1953
				29 December 1953	29 March 1958		Himself
				29 March 1958	2 March 1959		Pierre Frieden
		Eugène Schaus	DP	2 March 1959	15 July 1964	Deputy Prime Minister	Pierre Werner
		Pierre Werner	CSV	15 July 1964	3 January 1967
		Pierre Grégoire	CSV	3 January 1967	6 February 1969
		Gaston Thorn	DP	6 February 1969	15 June 1974
				15 June 1974	16 July 1979		Himself
				16 July 1979	22 November 1980	Deputy Prime Minister	Pierre Werner
		Colette Flesch	DP	22 November 1980	20 July 1984	Deputy Prime Minister
		Jacques Poos	LSAP	20 July 1984	26 January 1995	Deputy Prime Minister	Jacques Santer
				26 January 1995	7 August 1999	Deputy Prime Minister	Jean-Claude Juncker
		Lydie Polfer	DP	7 August 1999	20 July 2004	Deputy Prime Minister
		Charles Goerens	DP	20 July 2004	31 July 2004
		Jean Asselborn	LSAP	31 July 2004	4 December 2013	Deputy Prime Minister
				4 December 2013	17 November 2023		Xavier Bettel
		Xavier Bettel	DP	17 November 2023	Incumbent	Deputy Prime Minister	Luc Frieden

See also

• Luxembourg portal
• Politics portal

• Foreign relations of Luxembourg
• List of diplomatic missions of Luxembourg
• List of diplomatic missions in Luxembourg
• List of prime ministers of Luxembourg
• Luxembourg and the United Nations