Werner-Cravatte Ministry

The Werner-Cravatte Ministry was the government of Luxembourg between 15 July 1964 and 6 February 1969. Throughout the ministry, the Deputy Prime Minister was Henry Cravatte, replacing Eugène Schaus, who had been Deputy Prime Minister in the first Werner-Schaus Ministry. It was a coalition between the Christian Social People's Party (CSV), and the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP).

It was formed after the general election of 1964, which returned the CSV and LSAP as the largest and second-largest parties respectively in the legislature. (The LSAP had actually received more votes than the CSV.)

In the elections of 7 June 1964, for the first time the LSAP received more votes than the CSV. However, the CSV received one seat more than them (22 seats versus 21) due to the workings of the electoral system. The liberal Democratic Party suffered a painful defeat, which was probably due to the Army controversy. They received only six Deputies in the Chamber, while the Communists received five. A new political group which represented the interests of those forcibly conscripted into the Wehrmacht during the war, the Popular Independent Movement (Mouvement indépendant populaire), received two seats. After long negotiations, the CSV and LSAP formed a grand coalition. The near-equal size of the two parties in the Chamber caused tensions within the coalition on several occasions.

A first change took place after the death of Nicolas Biever, who was replaced by Antoine Krier. In late 1966, the parliamentary intervention of Jean Spautz demanding the abolition of conscription provoked a government crisis. The young CSV Deputy's proposition had been made without informing the coalition partner, or his own party leadership. The Minister for the Armed Forces tendered his resignation, followed by the entire government. After ministerial reshuffles and negotiations, the coalition was renewed on 3 January 1967. For the first time in Luxembourg's political history, a woman joined the government, as Madeleine Frieden-Kinnen became Secretary of State for Family, Young People and Education.

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