With the change of throne from Henri to Guillaume, Luxembourg has opened a new chapter in its history. While the Grand Duchy is currently receiving more media attention at home and abroad than ever before, many are asking themselves what role the monarchy still plays today - between symbolic power, nation branding and political neutrality.
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Anyone from Luxembourg (or living or working in this country) who hasn't spent the last few days on the moon or abroad has been so inundated with articles, reports, documentaries, photos and live tickers about the Grand Ducal family and the change of throne that some people may even have briefly considered whether the introduction of a republic might not be the better option after all, given the medial overkill.
The election of a new president would certainly not have resulted in the same information overload as a change of throne. However, if Luxembourg were a republic, it would be just another dwarf state among many – with a head of state who is usually a deserving but often colourless politician, as is the case in many countries.
However, as the only Grand Duchy in the world, Luxembourg is something very special. There may be people who describe the Grand Duke as a better figurehead, but they are definitely wrong. A Grand Duke gives the country a face, at best even an identity, and anyone who has seen the cheering crowds, including many, many young people, who cheered the new Grand Duke on the day of the change of throne (and afterwards), will probably agree with us.
Almost everyone knows the King of England or Holland, but very few people know who the President of Ireland or Bulgaria is – and we are paraphrasing Deputy Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, who expressed himself similarly in a recent documentary.
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