Luxembourg will hold new elections after Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker announced he would resign following a secret service scandal. Mr Juncker, Europe's longest-serving head of government, told parliament he would step down on Thursday.Juncker Denies Wrongdoing
The move came as his junior coalition partner called for the dissolution of parliament and early elections.
It follows claims he failed to stop illegal security agency activity such as phone-taps and corruption.
Mr Juncker has been prime minister since 1995 and was head of the eurozone finance ministers group between 2005 and January 2013.
"I will convene the government tomorrow morning at 10:00 (08:00 GMT) and will go to the Palace to suggest snap elections to the Grand Duke," he said on Wednesday.
Luxembourg's parliament had reviewed a report alleging a series of cases of misconduct by the country's SREL security agency, which the prime minister oversees.
It included claims of illegal bugging of politicians, the purchase of cars for private use and payments in exchange for access to local officials.
Juncker told parliament "the intelligence service was not my top priority," while denying he personally did anything wrong.
When it Becomes Serious, You Have to Lie
In case your memory needs refreshing, please recall that in the midst of the eurozone crisis, Jean-Claude Juncker openly stated "When it becomes serious, you have to lie".
It seems to me these charges are pretty serious.
If Obama and every other head of state involved in such scandals would resign as well, we would all be better off.
Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
