Luxembourg says ‘Vive!’ to new Grand Duke Guillaume after his father Henri abdicates

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By Alessandro Parodi and Milan Berckmans

LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) -A cheering crowd chanted “Vive!” to welcome Luxembourg’s new Grand Duke Guillaume on Friday, after his father Henri abdicated, ending nearly 25 years on the throne of the landlocked country.

The Grand Duke, his wife Stephanie and their sons Charles and Francois greeted their subjects from the balcony of the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg city after the swearing-in ceremony.

“We expect good decisions from him,” said 52-year-old housewife Simran Siegel who was part of the crowd. “The world is going topsy-turvy at the moment, I hope Luxembourg can really have a stand,” she added.

Luxembourg, squeezed between France, Germany and Belgium and with a population of under 700,000, is a constitutional monarchy in which the Grand Duke holds executive power and bills only become law with his signature.

PASSING THE BATON

Grand Duke Guillaume’s father, the former Grand Duke Henri, signed the Act of Abdication earlier on the day. He was the country’s monarch since 2000.

“I hope (Guillaume) does the same job as the last one,” said 18-year-old student Pol Muller. “He keeps presenting us well, promoting our country, and being there for the people.”

Royals and heads of state from across Europe attended Friday’s swearing-in of the Grand Duke, with some of them expected to attend a gala dinner in the evening.

Among attendees were the Dutch and Belgian royal families, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, European Council President Antonio Costa and French and German Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

The latter two participated earlier on Friday in celebrations for the 35th anniversary of Germany’s democratic reunification near the border between the two countries.

On the margin of the swearing-in, Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden was expected to host Macron for a bilateral meeting at the Senningen castle north-east of the capital, according to an official programme of the event.

(Reporting by Alessandro Parodi and Milan Berckmans, editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten)