Xavier Bettel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Xavier Bettel
Bettel in 2023
Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg
Incumbent
Assumed office 17 November 2023
Prime Minister	Luc Frieden
Preceded by	François Bausch Paulette Lenert
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office 17 November 2023
Prime Minister	Luc Frieden
Preceded by	Jean Asselborn
President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
In office 17 November 2024 – 14 May 2025
Preceded by	Gabrielius Landsbergis
Succeeded by	Ian Borg
Prime Minister of Luxembourg
In office 4 December 2013 – 17 November 2023
Monarch	Henri
Deputy	Étienne Schneider Félix Braz François Bausch Dan Kersch Paulette Lenert
Preceded by	Jean-Claude Juncker
Succeeded by	Luc Frieden
Minister for Communications and Media
In office 4 December 2013 – 17 November 2023
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Luc Frieden
Succeeded by	Elisabeth Margue
Mayor of Luxembourg City
In office 24 November 2011 – 4 December 2013
Preceded by	Paul Helminger
Succeeded by	Lydie Polfer
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office 13 July 1999 – 4 December 2013
Succeeded by	Frank Colabianchi
Constituency	Centre
Personal details
Born	(1973-03-03) 3 March 1973 (age 52) Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Nationality	Luxembourger
Political party	Democratic Party (1988–present)
Spouse	Gauthier Destenay ​ (m. 2015)​
Alma mater	Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Erasmus Programme) Nancy 2 University
Profession	Lawyer Politician

Xavier Bettel (born 3 March 1973) is a well-known politician from Luxembourg. He is currently the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2023. Before this, he was the prime minister of Luxembourg for ten years, from 2013 to 2023.

Bettel was also a member of the Chamber of Deputies (Luxembourg's parliament) from 1999 to 2013. He served as the Mayor of Luxembourg City from 2011 to 2013. He is a member of the Democratic Party (DP). When he became Prime Minister in 2013, he was the youngest person to hold that job in Luxembourg, at 40 years old. He was also the first openly gay prime minister in the world to be re-elected for a second term in 2018.

Early Life and Education

Xavier Bettel was born in Luxembourg City on 3 March 1973. He grew up in a town called Roeser. He joined the Democratic Party (DP) when he was just 15 years old in 1988. By 1993, he became the leader of the party's youth group.

Bettel studied at Nancy 2 University in Nancy, France, where he earned a master's degree in Public and European Law. He also studied maritime law at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Greece, as part of the Erasmus Programme. For a few years in the early 2000s, he hosted a weekly talk show called Sonndes em 8 on a TV channel called T.TV. In 2017, he received an honorary doctorate from Sacred Heart University Luxembourg.

Early Political Career

Serving Luxembourg City

In 1999, Xavier Bettel was elected to the city council of Luxembourg City. This was his first step into local politics. Two years later, in 2001, he officially became a lawyer. In 2005, after another local election, he was appointed as an échevin (which is like an alderman or deputy mayor) in the city council.

On 24 November 2011, Bettel became the Mayor of Luxembourg City. He held this important position until 2013. When he became mayor, he stepped down from his role as the leader of the Democratic Party in the Chamber of Deputies.

Member of Parliament

Bettel first became a member of the Chamber of Deputies in 1999. This is Luxembourg's main law-making body. He was appointed to the Chamber on 12 August 1999, after some other elected members took on government roles.

By the time of the 2004 general election, Bettel had become a stronger political figure. He was re-elected to the Chamber of Deputies, showing his growing support among voters.

Prime Minister of Luxembourg (2013–2023)

First Term as Prime Minister

In 2013, Xavier Bettel became the leader of the Democratic Party. After the general election that year, he was chosen by Grand Duke Henri to form the next government. He officially became Luxembourg's Prime Minister on 4 December 2013.

His government was a partnership, or "coalition," between the Democratic Party (DP), the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP), and The Greens. During his first term, he also served as Minister of State, Minister for Communications and the Media, Minister for Culture, and Minister for Religious Affairs.

Xavier Bettel and President Vladimir Putin (6 October 2015)

Second Term as Prime Minister

Bettel and US Ambassador Randy Evans at the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial, for the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, on 16 December 2019

After the 2018 election, Xavier Bettel was re-elected for a second term. He became the first openly gay prime minister in the world to be re-elected. His second government started on 5 December 2018, continuing the partnership between the Democratic Party, the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party, and The Greens.

One big change during his second term happened on 29 February 2020. All public transport in Luxembourg became free of charge. This was a major decision made by his government.

Xavier Bettel with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on 21 June 2022

Deputy Prime Minister (2023–Present)

After the 2023 election, the Democratic Party formed a new government with the CSV. In this new government, Luc Frieden became the Prime Minister, and Xavier Bettel was appointed Deputy Prime Minister.

In his current role, he is in charge of foreign and European affairs, helping other countries, and foreign trade. He also deals with matters concerning the Greater Region, which includes areas around Luxembourg.

Personal Life

Xavier Bettel is openly gay. He has said that in Luxembourg, people are becoming more accepting and don't focus on whether someone is gay or not. He was the first openly gay Prime Minister of Luxembourg.

Bettel married Gauthier Destenay in 2015. This was the same year that same-sex marriage became legal in Luxembourg.

Health During COVID-19

In July 2021, Bettel was admitted to the hospital after being diagnosed with COVID-19. This was done as a precaution and for tests. He had mild symptoms like a high temperature and headache. He stayed in the hospital for a few days but was discharged on 8 July 2021. He thanked the health authorities for their care and continued his work from home during his recovery.

Honours and Awards

Xavier Bettel has received many awards and honours from different countries for his work. Here are some of them:

Award or decoration		Country	Date
Ribbon	Name
	Order of Civil Merit	Spain	2007
	Order of Orange-Nassau (Knight Grand Officer)	Netherlands	2012
	Order of the Oak Crown (Knight Grand cross)	Luxembourg	2014
	Order of the Legion of Honour (Commander)	France	2015
	Order of the Crown (Knight Grand Cross)	Belgium	2017
	Order of Prince Henry (Grand Cross)	Portugal	2017
	Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (Grand Cross)	Estonia	2018
	Order of Orange-Nassau (Knight Grand Cross)	Netherlands	2018
	Order of the Republic of Serbia (Grand Cross)	Serbia	2020
	Order of Makarios III (Grand Cross)	Cyprus	2022
	Order of Honour (Grand Cross)	Greece	2023

See also

In Spanish: Xavier Bettel para niños

• Bettel I (2013–2018)
• Bettel II (2018–2023)
• List of openly LGBT heads of state and government
• List of the first LGBT holders of political offices