“Because Tomorrow Matters” was the slogan of the Democratic Party (DP) at its national congress on Sunday, where MP and Echternach mayor Carole Hartmann was elected party president with 462 out of 483 votes. Alongside Defence Minister Yuriko Backes, former minister Corinne Cahen, and Amela Skenderović as vice-presidents, and Culture Minister Eric Thill as Secretary General, the DP leadership team was renewed during celebrations marking the party’s 70th anniversary.
In his speech, Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel underlined the importance of competence in selecting candidates for leadership roles, emphasising that, even without a formal gender quota, women had been chosen based on merit.
Representing the younger generation of the party, Lou Linster, President of the Young Democrats, stressed the need for fair and sustainable pension reform.
Taking the stage as the newly elected president, Carole Hartmann reaffirmed the party’s social-liberal orientation. She invoked the legacy of former Prime Minister and DP member Gaston Thorn, crediting him as the architect of Luxembourg’s tripartite model, which, she argued, remains vital in managing crises today. Hartmann also emphasised the continuing importance of social dialogue during these challenging times.
A notable moment came with Economy Minister Lex Delles’s final speech as party president. Reflecting on his tenure with evident satisfaction, he highlighted the DP’s electoral successes and the reflection of the party’s core values in the coalition agreement. Delles said he was stepping down “with both a smile and a tear,” but with a clear conscience, confident that the party would be in good hands under Carole Hartmann’s leadership.
While Delles avoided making major national political announcements, international affairs took centre stage when MEP Charles Goerens addressed the congress.
Goerens warned that Europe was crying out for leadership and urged the EU to assert itself and recognise its strengths. He criticised EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for failing to arrange a meeting with President Trump, noting that Europe often stands alone — were it not for allies like Canada.
In his trademark sarcastic style, Goerens did offer a glimmer of good news: if Vladimir Putin is now allowed to travel to Hungary, internal border controls between EU member states should soon be consigned to history. He insisted that Europe must uphold its rules, and that strong governance is essential if the EU is to play a leading role on the world stage. For this reason, he argued, there is no way forward without reforming the European treaties.
