The long road to parity

Across the Atlantic, when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau presented his first government made up of as many women as men, he was questioned about the reason for this parity. His answer? "Because it's 2015." It's amazing how time passes differently depending on the country or time zone, since neither in 2015, nor even in 2023, has Luxembourg seen a government with as many female politicians as male ones, while its neighbours have achieved parity or are very close to it (see infobox below).

Of course, forming a government is a balancing act. And Prime Minister Luc Frieden (CSV) is fully aware of this: "We are not a party that wants to impose quotas. We have tried to strike a balance between regions, professions, abilities and experience, and we don't care if it's a man or a woman. It's not looked at as a man or a woman, but as the right person in the right place." But in the end, no matter how determined the government trainer, the proportion of women in government never rises above 33%. A glass ceiling as solid as steel.