Carole Hartmann wears many hats. She is an MP, president of the Democratic Party, mayor of Echternach, and a mother; all roles which require plenty of organisation. Fortunately, she says she can rely on her family for support.
Hartmann met with RTL at Echternach Lake, a spot that feels like a holiday to her, even if the landscape surrounding it has been affected by the drought. She says she is worried about the environmental crisis, pointing at the fires throughout Europe, and says politicians must take these into consideration for the future.
Despite Hartmann's links to her hometown, she is looking forward to her holiday abroad this year, in Portugal. To relax, she plays tennis in summer and table tennis in winter. The last book she read was Pierre Decock's "Les disparus du Däiwelskessel", set in the Mullerthal region. Currently, she is making the most of the break to spend evenings with her family, putting her children to bed.
Politically, the social dispute dominated Luxembourg's news last year. Hartmann believes the disagreement between government, employers and unions could have been resolved more quickly. But in the end, all that matters is that the social dialogue has worked.
On the issue of the capped index, the DP remains firmly against it. People with lower salaries should be supported with other measures, such as the high cost of living allowance.
As for housing, Hartmann thinks the most important measure is the state programme to buy up on-plan (VEFA) projects. She also believes the healthcare sector is in need of liberalisation, and says it could have begun sooner.
Hartmann has never considered joining another party, but if she did, it would have to be a social-liberal force. Her political role models are Xavier Bettel and Colette Flesch.
Whilst she does not want to commit to what the next coalition might look like, she hopes the next government is led by Xavier Bettel. Whether she would ever accept a possible ministerial mandate is not a question now, says Hartmann.
It is difficult to say whether she prefers municipal or national politics. Hartmann confesses she never wanted to be a politician, but had hopes of joining the police. In the end, she trained in law, and says she sometimes misses the profession.
