Werner-Schaus Ministry I

The first Werner-Schaus Ministry was the government of Luxembourg between 2 March 1959 and 15 July 1964. It was a coalition between the Christian Social People's Party (CSV), and the Democratic Party. It was formed after the general election of 1959.

The early elections of 1 February 1959 put an end to the coalition between the CSV and the LSAP which had dominated the preceding decade. While the LSAP retained the 17 seats it had received in 1954, the CSV lost five seats. The conflict between the Farmers' Central and the government had cost the CSV many votes among its rural base. The Democratic Party, since 1955 the successor of the Patriotic and Democratic Group, was the winner of the election. The liberals won 11 seats, and presented themselves as the alternative to the LSAP in a coalition government. Despite its losses, with 21 seats the CSV remained the largest political force in the country. The Grand Duchess asked Pierre Werner to form a government, after Pierre Frieden had declined to do so for health reasons; Frieden died on 23 February 1959. Until the new government took office on 2 March, the departments under Frieden were distributed on an interim basis to the other government members: Central Administration to Joseph Bech, the Interior to Pierre Werner, Education, Arts and Sciences, Religion, Population and Family to Émile Colling.

The project of European construction in which the Luxembourgish government had participated throughout the 1950s had modified the relations between Luxembourg and its neighbouring countries, especially Belgium. The creation of a common European market had repercussions for the structures of the Belgium–Luxembourg Economic Union (UEBL), and made it necessary to revise the convention of 1921, long before it was due to expire in 1972. In the late 1950s, the two partners started negotiations to re-examine the UEBL. On 29 January 1963, three protocols were signed to adapt the UEBL to the new international situation. The agreements were intended to harmonise the two countries' economic policies, especially with regards to agricultural trade and excise duties; to redefine the currency regime and increase the volume of notes printed by the Luxembourgish authorities; and finally to introduce a "Committee of Ministers" similar to the Council of Ministers of the EEC. Through the agreements of 1963, the two partners showed their desire to treat each other as equals within the UEBL.

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