The so far unnamed party does not belong to the political right, Ruppert confirmed in an interview with RTL. On its agenda, citizens’ values, personal freedom and responsibility, the respect of others and of rules, are the priority.

In recent times, says Ruppert, “the trust in politics has suffered, people would like that citizens’ values be addressed and respected.” He adds that “the topics that already existed prior to corona didn’t just disappear after corona, and even became more important, like the climate, housing, mobility, the understanding of democracy; and they should be addressed.”

His companion on this, Frank Engel, had been the CSV party president until he had been in the CSV Frëndeskrees ASBL. Engel had suspected the ensuing trial to be political, as he had brought forth ideas without the backing of his party, such as for instance, the introduction of a wealth tax. Engel had resigned from the party and was ultimately also acquitted in December 2021.

There is however no frustration or ill intention at the origin of Ruppert’s departure from the DP. Past, long forgiven differences with party president Corinnne Cahen didn’t impact his choice either.

Instead, the DP’s transformation into a government party, where all positions are adopted at the top of the hierarchy, as Ruppert describes it, motivated him to join Engel on the journey. “People increasingly have the impression that the political landscape is becoming more unified, but that their problems aren’t always addressed,” he says.

In the past, Ruppert had encountered issues with the DP, as he considered listening to the base of a party as crucial. In his interview with RTL, Ruppert said that the coalition parties often shared the same positions, which ended up not representing the actual concerns of voters. 

While the financial aspect and complete schedule of the party hasn’t been revealed yet, Ruppert affirms that the party is gaining members, some of which will be “a surprise” to all.