Paul Galles still undecided about his future role in the party

Galles initially took over the position from Félix Eischen, who went on medical leave in 2020. Despite his return, Eischen already announced that he does not intend to become secretary general again. When asked whether he planned on continuing in that role, Galles conveyed doubts: "I still need a little time to reflect on the matter. I like doing the job, but I would also like to keep my freedom both as a Member of Parliament and as a private citizen."

It remains to be seen if other members of the party will apply for the role during the CSV congress. Galles emphasised that he holds a good relationship with all his party colleagues, as well as leader Frank Engel.

The conservative party is currently undergoing an internal restructuring process, Galles further conveyed. Five distinct task forces are working on the list of goals CSV wants to achieve in the future, the results of which are set to be presented during the next party congress. Galles also believes that they are still able to connect with younger voters. CSV is interested in sustainable policies, to which the majority of the population responds.

When asked about the recent controversy surrounding MEP Monica Semedo, Galles emphasised that people should not make the same mistake that started the whole affair and harass Semedo with hateful comments. Nevertheless, the MP criticised the Democratic Party for trying to quickly dismiss the case in the first place. He also does not believe that the DP leadership was unaware of the investigation. Still, Galles stated that the seat in the European Parliament should be filled by a DP member.

Galles further talked about the government's vaccination plan, which he thinks should have been presented with greater transparency. "The respective centres could have been placed in better locations from a geographical perspective", he explained. Galles also stated his belief that people's willingness to be vaccinated will still increase.

When it comes to the Horeca sector, CSV wanted to close businesses even earlier, which may have allowed for a reopening by now. Nevertheless, with the current situation, the conservative party also opts for closing the sector.