CDU basic program: Of encouragement, control and freedom

CDU politicians have formulated their new basic program on 70 pages. There is a lot that is familiar, but there is also something new about the topic of working life – and in some places a pinch of Merz.

As chairman of the CDU in Thuringia, Mario Voigt has a particular interest in clearly aligning the CDU with a new basic program. “It’s a program for encouragers in this country,” he says. “And against the naysayers.”

Voigt identified the naysayers in the AfD, which is far ahead of the CDU in polls in Thuringia. He sees himself as an encourager. And the CDU, of course. With party friends, Voigt wrote 70 pages for the new basic program, underlining obvious CDU positions, but also formulating new things.

This is how the CDU dares to approach the issue of working life. As people get older, they should retire later. Not necessarily an encouraging topic. Secretary General Carsten Linnemann has advocated for a possible longer working life – knowing that this is a sensitive issue. But also a necessary one, says Linnemann. The CDU wants to make pensions secure. This also includes a funded pension plan, similar to a Riester pension, but mandatory.

More police and asylum procedures in third countries

Linnemann, Voigt and all the other commission members have decided to put the issue of security at the center of the paper. A lot should contribute to this: more police, for example, a secure energy supply, including through nuclear power plants, or a consistent asylum policy.

The CDU relies on asylum procedures in safe third countries. More control should ensure security in cosmopolitan Germany, says Voigt. He sees Germany as a cosmopolitan and hospitable country. “But that doesn’t mean hanging the door in our apartment, but rather deciding for ourselves how many people come into our apartment.”

Anyone who has arrived in this apartment should follow the rules. To the – Attention: German dominant culture. A term that was controversially discussed in the 2000s. A certain Friedrich Merz introduced the term leading culture and caused a stir in the CDU at the time. The liberals in the party were outraged and didn’t want to talk about the dominant culture, including Angela Merkel.

More Merz, less Merkel?

23 years and three party chairmen later, the guiding culture is in the basic program. Is the party now becoming more conservative? More Merz, less Merkel? Not necessarily, even if Merz is in the program in some places. In addition to the dominant culture, an intended income tax reform is reminiscent of the “young” Merz and his famous beer mat, which a tax return should fit on. In addition to the Merz accents, liberal and Christian-social points can also be found in the program.

It is written primarily for the party, it is not an election program. Therefore, some things remain unclear and vague. And nothing has been decided yet; in the end, the party conference next year will decide. Something could be changed in one place or another. But the title says: “Living in freedom.”

The authors don’t want to prescribe anything, they say – which isn’t entirely true. So they want to introduce a compulsory social year for young people and just not gender them. Everyone should please let that go. So much freedom is not desired.