i live in luxembourg and am part of the local communist party but i frequently ask myself if a tiny landlocked nation even could be socialist (imagining that a revolution somehow happened) because we are surrounded by european core countries like germany and france which build the center of the neoliberal european union and they would never let this country turn socialist. In answer to this they with the help of the US would most certainly invade Luxembourg. Independence would also be a problem, we are completely dependent on trade with other countries, mostly our western neighbors and their finance which would (IF the invasion failed) sanction us. In answer, if Luxembourg turned socialist it would be a misery for the poeple, not because of the socialism, but because of our “allies” attacking and sanctioning us.
Luxembourg will not turn socialist before enough of its neighbors do. The reason for this has as much to do with its own internal socio-economics as it does with its geographical position. To understand why we have to look at some even more extreme examples:
European microstates like Liechtenstein or Monaco which can barely be called countries will be the last on the planet to turn socialist because they are essentially just tax havens for the rich which heavily bribe their already well off population with social services funded through wealth stolen from the proletariat of real countries. There is no proletariat to speak of in such microstates, as the proletarians have largely been pushed out into neighboring states through what is in effect a state wide gentrification. The only way for them to turn socialist is to have socialism forced on them by an outside socialist power which will annex them.
Now Luxembourg is not quite in this situation, it is slightly larger (but not by that much) and it has some industry and real economy (though not much), but it is not that far away from those extreme cases either, and imo its best hope of turning socialist is still annexation by one of its larger neighbors.
Pardon the possibly insensitive question, but what does Luxembourg even do other than hide the monarchists of Europe and host the European Central Bank?
To be fair the only experience I have with Luxembourgers is in the form of a monarchist aristocrat type who goes to Vienna operas and probably sleeps in a bed of banknotes.
I agree that tiny nations surrounded by larger capitalist nations will be the last to turn socialist for the reasons you suggest.
They have free public transport
not much to be honest. We’re essentially just a western European hub for crime and bribery. We have some Industry like the dairy industry and we once had a lot of Iron mining going on but know we’re just populated by shady Banks
Do they host the European Central Bank? I thought that was in Frankfurt
You’re correct, for whatever reason I thought that the ECB used to be in Frankfurt and moved to Luxembourg, but it just moved to a new building in Frankfurt.
I could see a socialist Luxembourg succeeding if Belgium became socialist. Other than that it’s difficult like you said because of location and size.
Is there a large proletariat in Luxembourg? And is the wealth distribution very unequal in Luxembourg?
Belgium becoming socialist is a monumental task of its own unfortunately. Especially with the EU and the NATO having their HQ here. And then we’re locked in between France, NL and Germany who will probably not let it happen.
I hope the proletariat of at least France + Belgium or the Benelux rise as a whole to have a better chance.
We are getting rather popular, though. Exciting times.
NATO Headquarters are in Brussels. The chances the US and its allies lets Belgium fall to the other side of the isle is below 0%
I can hope though, carry on the struggle!
The thing is that a lot of people here are petit bourgeois or are landlords (my parents included) because of the insane living prises. Living on a single income has become impossible, therefore a lot of people reside to petit-bourgeois activities to finance their lives. That ones that dont have the possiblity to engage in petit-bourgeois/ landlord behavious are forced outside of the country simply because of the prices. Dont get me wrong, people even the petit-bourgeois are being dissatisfied with the governement but class-counsciousness is almost 0 here and the CPL (communist party of luxembourg) currently has no chances of getting in the parlement. I still help my communist party and hope for the future. Slowly but surely we are gaining popularity
How big is the CPL? Maybe we should make a Belgian-Luxembourg connection lol.
the CPL had 0,64 percent in the last election of 2023 which makes it the 3rd smallest party
Considering Luxembourg has one of the highest minimum wages of Europe, set at 2500€ which is surpassed only by Switzerland, I don’t think so. No one in Luxembourg has a material incentive to even vote for a Communist party, let alone do a revolution.
yea the people here are dissatisfied but for the wrong reasons and not to the extent to ever consider socialism a viable option
Yes but only if Rosa. Definitely not Sigismund.
“ha get it? Its because her name was Rosa Luxembourg”
SHE WASN’T EVEN FROM LUXEMBOURG DAMMIT 😡
San Marino was communist for a while
true, the communist party was quite limited on its economic capabilities and potential due to them being a micro-nation enterily surrounded by italy but they did manage to nationalize some industries and slowly but surely increase the standards of living of the people living in it. Luxembourg would be limited but not as much as san marino in this case.
