The Monarchical Constitution: Power Preservation over Civil Rights

In 1841, Grand Duke William II introduces an estates constitution in Luxembourg to secure his control and counter revolutionary ideas from Belgium. This constitution does not enshrine any civil liberties and is based on an absolutist-inspired form of governance. At its center are the estates, whose members are elected through a heavily restricted census franchise. Only men who pay at least ten guilders in taxes are eligible to vote. The estates primarily have an advisory function; their approval is only required for tax and criminal laws as well as parts of the budget. Political influence remains denied to them. The composition of the estates shows the dominance of the elites: 20 out of 34 members are large landowners or notaries. Representatives of the middle class, the working class, and the clergy are completely absent. In addition to the estates, there is a five-member government college appointed by the Grand Duke. The constitution of 1841 cements the power of the Grand Duke and ignores the demands of the bourgeoisie for political reforms.