The DP will be holding an important congress on Sunday 27 April. On the agenda: the election of a new management team for the next three years. , the current general secretary, is the only candidate to succeed , who has chosen not to stand for re-election in order to devote himself fully to his role as minister of the economy. With no other contenders having come forward by Sunday’s deadline, she will run unopposed.

The candidate has surrounded herself with a team comprising , and Amela Skenderovic, proposed as vice-presidents. The post of secretary general, hitherto held by Hartmann, will go to culture minister .

A natural step

For Hartmann, becoming president of the DP represents “the natural extension” of her political commitment. It’s a journey that began with the Jonk Demokraten, the party’s youth movement, then accelerated in 2013 when she officially joined the DP, at the request of then president on the campaign trail, keen to rejuvenate the ranks. “I wasn’t elected at the time, but I began my career in the party and its bodies. I ended up as general secretary under the presidency of Lex Delles, with whom, I have to say, we worked well,” she confides.

Today, on the strength of her experience as a member of parliament since 2018 and as mayor of Echternach since 2023, she says she is ready to take the next step. “I feel ready to continue on the path begun in 2013 at the head of the party. And I hope that thanks to the experience I’ve gained, I’ll be up to the job.” As for her leadership style, she claims to have a team spirit. “I come from the world of sport. I like to bring people together and play as a team. The team around me is very solid. Together, we will work to move our country and our party forward.”

Working on values

As party leader, Hartmann has set herself two priorities. The first is an internal one: to initiate a fundamental reflection on the values that underpin the identity of the Democrats. “At a time when the extremes are gaining ground among our neighbours and elsewhere, when the geopolitical and economic situation is becoming uncertain, particularly due to the influence of Donald Trump, it is essential to get back to basics: the defence of freedoms and fundamental rights, which are increasingly being called into question,” she asserts.

She wants to re-examine these founding pillars of the party--which are 70 years old--and involve activists in this reflection. “I’d love to discuss our current and future positioning on these issues, and get the grassroots involved. These days, it's important to see how these values can help us to confront the far right, disinformation, and better protect young people in the face of social networks.”

Her second objective, as president of a party that is a member of the government majority, is clear: to ensure that the coalition agreement is fully implemented. “That’s our primary ambition: that everything in the agreement is achieved,” she insists, whilst insisting on the need to go beyond mere commitments. “The DP must be more than a loyal partner. It must also be a source of proposals on current issues.”

The party of societal reforms

At the heart of Hartmann’s commitment are societal values. “We've just come out of a parliamentary debate that opened up adoption to all existing family types--bill 8228, which was passed on 2 April by 55 votes in favour and five abstentions and published in the official journal on 16 April. For me--and I will reaffirm this before the congress--it is important that we continue to work on these reforms, which will help to modernise the state and our society.” She cites the introduction of a criminal law for minors, the strengthening of their rights and women’s rights to medically assisted reproduction as reforms that are both urgent and unavoidable. “There are still many taboo subjects in our society, such as euthanasia. We need to work on de-demonising them.”

Societal reforms are in the party’s DNA. It was under the Thorn government of 1974--the first time since the post-war period--that the CSV was sent back into opposition. It was not until 2013 that this happened again--that the offence of adultery was abolished, divorce by mutual consent and voluntary interruption of pregnancy were adopted and the death penalty was formally abolished. The Bettel governments will not have been outdone, bringing marriage for same-sex couples, simplification of abortion regulations and the separation of church and state.

Hartmann intends to cultivate this DNA over the next three years and make it a strong marker for the 2028 general election campaign.

This article was originally published in .