How we work

After the elections on October 8, 2023, the CSV faction is the largest political faction in the Chamber of Deputies. The CSV faction is the parliamentary representation of the Christian Social People's Party. It has 21 members.

In addition to the many legislative tasks performed by the CSV parliamentary group, our members are also authors of various legislative proposals as well as parliamentary questions on a wide range of topics. Furthermore, CSV deputies regularly request current affairs hours, interpellations, and orientation debates. A number of motions and resolutions are also repeatedly submitted by the CSV parliamentary group in the Chamber.

The factions represented in the Chamber are the main actors in parliamentary work. As stipulated by the Chamber regulations, factions enjoy certain privileges and competencies that individual deputies do not possess.

Unlike in many other, larger countries, it is rare for an individual deputy to hire a personal assistant in our country.

The CSV parliamentary group has a "Pool of collaborators" where employees are responsible for monitoring parliamentary work. The pool consists of "Parliamentary Advisors" and is led by a parliamentary group secretary. They are all supported in their work by an administrative secretariat.

The employees from the pool work together with deputies on political files and assist them in their daily work in the Chamber.

Parliamentary Group Office

The office of the CSV parliamentary group is the responsible body for all administrative questions of the group. It also decides on the group's external communication strategy and resolves, if necessary, internal matters. It can also prepare political themes, which are then debated at a later time in the parliamentary group meeting. The office consists of six members with equal voting rights and is chaired by the president of the group. Among the members is also the parliamentary group secretary. The parliamentary group secretary, who does not have voting rights, attends the office meetings in an advisory capacity.

Members of the office are Marc Spautz (President of the parliamentary group), Diane Adehm (Vice President), Stéphanie Weydert (Vice President), Paul Galles, Félix Eischen, Octavie Modert, Charles Weiler (Members), and Norry Dondelinger (Group Secretary).

Conference of Presidents

Currently, there are 4 factions (CSV, LSAP, DP, ADR) and 3 political sensitivities (the Greens, Pirates, the Left). Their respective presidents, together with the Chamber president, form the so-called Conference of Presidents. This body sets the agenda of the Chamber and, in its function as a parliamentary organ, advises on various grand-ducal regulations. This also includes European directives that need to be transposed into national law. For the CSV parliamentary group, the group president serves as a member in the Conference of Presidents.

Chamber Bureau

The factions and political sensitivities determine their respective candidates for the Chamber bureau. They also nominate members of the parliamentary committees. Ultimately, the factions and political sensitivities are entitled to financial allowances and credits to cover the functional costs such as employee expenses. For the CSV parliamentary group, members of the Chamber bureau are: Claude Wiseler (President of the Chamber), Michel Wolter (Vice President of the Chamber), Marc Spautz (Bureau Member), Diane Adehm (Bureau Member), Octavie Modert (Permanent Alternate Member).

Parliamentary Committees

The parliamentary committees are divided into three different categories: there are regulatory committees, permanent committees, and special committees. When the Chamber exercises its right of inquiry in areas where it believes the legislator must conduct an investigation, an inquiry committee is established, which exercises judicial power; because it has the same powers as an investigating judge. 

There are 4 regulatory committees: 

(1) The "Commission du Règlement" deals with the Chamber regulations and discusses amendment proposals before they are put to vote in the Chamber. (2) The "Commission des Comptes" deals with the preparation and control of the Chamber's internal accounts. (3) The "Commission du Contrôle parlementaire du Service de Renseignement de l’Etat" monitors and follows the activities of the Luxembourg intelligence service. (4) The "Commission des Pétitions" examines the various petitions submitted by citizens to the Chamber. Every citizen has the constitutional right to address a petition to the Chamber. 

The permanent committees are the parliamentary mirror image of the individual departments and ministries. These committees are tasked with examining all legislative texts and proposals that fall within their remit before they are put to vote in the Chamber. They, if necessary, amend the initial legislative texts and appoint a rapporteur from among the members of the respective committee, who reports on the bill in the public session of the Chamber. Subsequently, the projects or legislative proposals are put to the vote. These committees also prepare parliamentary debates, with or without a written report, and can analyze motions and resolutions before they are debated in the Chamber. 

Special committees are set up when specific debates need to be prepared, the subject of which is not contingent on a ministerial department. They can also be tasked with following and deepening specific dossiers during a session or an entire legislative period. This dossier is then debated in the Chamber.