Luxembourg votes with Juncker expected to retain power

(LUXEMBOURG) - Luxembourg voters headed for the polls Sunday in national and European elections with Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker expected to easily win a fresh mandate after 14 years at the helm.

Some 240,000 electors from a population of under half a million will choose their 60 parliamentary deputies as well as the six members of the European parliament who will represent them in Brussels and Strasbourg.

Voting is mandatory.

The opinion polls predicted no earthquakes in the Grand Duchy's political landscape, which has been dominated since the Second World War by Juncker's CSV (Christian Social People's Party).

The opposition socialists (LSAP) of foreign minister Jean Asselborn is expected to remain the second political force in the country and form a new coalition government with the CSV.

Juncker heads the party voting list and the CSV's popularity remains intact despite an uninterrupted 14 years in government and the unprecedented economic crisis, which has seen Luxembourg's secret banking role put in question.

Juncker embodies stability for the Luxembourg people, amid fears over threats to jobs and spending power.

The prime minister is also the head of the Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers.

Last week he denied reports that he plans to give up chairing the informal Eurogroup meetings even though he will let go of the national finance portfolio.

"It's not my intention to give up the presidency of the Eurogroup," Juncker told radio station RTL Luxembourg.

Juncker has presided over the 16-nation Eurogroup since 2005.

"It's possible that I could remain in charge of monetary policy" in the next government, Juncker said on Thursday. "In the Eurogroup there's not only finance ministers, there's also budget and treasury ministers."

The other main political groups have focussed their campaigns on social issues such as the need to maintain index-linked salaries.

Unemployment has also been a concern in a country which had become accustomed to practically full employment but is currently seeing its key financial sector hit hard.

The jobless rate stands at 5.9 percent and could reach seven percent next year.

The two elections, legislative and European, traditionally occur on the same day though the national polls largely eclipse the EU version in the public mind.