Luxembourg prime minister resigns amid spy scandal
Iran Press TV
Thu Jul 11, 2013 12:49PM GMT
Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker has announced his resignation after failing to convince lawmakers that he was not responsible for the country’s spy scandal.
The European Union’s longest serving prime minister made the announcement Thursday after facing a parliamentary probe accusing him of failing to curb abuse of power by the country's intelligence agency SREL.
Juncker’s socialist coalition partner called for the dissolution of parliament and urged the veteran premier to request new elections.
“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,” Juncker said.
The parliamentary report follows allegations that Juncker failed to stop illegal phone-taps and corruption, though the 58-year-old premier rejected the claims saying that the intelligence service is not his top priority.
Luxembourg initiated the probe after a weekly newspaper published a secret conversation between Juncker and the head of SREL from 2008, and revealed that the country’s Grand Duke was in regular contact with Britain's MI6.
Juncker has been prime minister since 1995 and was head of the Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers until he stepped down in January.
Juncker is known as one of the pioneers of the idea of the euro currency.
GMA/KA
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