Closed conference in Seeon: CSU calls for “maximum mobilization”

The CSU regional group is making up for its New Year’s retreat in Seeon. Guest of honor Laschet has to be prepared for a few clear announcements. A guarantee of the state water supply is to be decided.

Alexander Dobrindt takes care of the drinking water. “We experience time and again around the world that there are efforts that result in the privatization of water or that try to do so,” says the CSU regional group leader. That is why his MPs are supposed to decide on a “state drinking water guarantee” at their retreat starting today in Seeon, Upper Bavaria.

“The drinking water supply is in good hands with the public purse, and it should stay that way,” says the draft resolution that the tagesschau.de is available in excerpts. “That is why we want to make a public property guarantee for the drinking water legally binding.”

EU wanted to privatize drinking water supply

The paper also says that permanent nationalization would also rule out speculative transactions. When asked who wants to privatize the drinking water supply in Germany, Dobrindt refers to a corresponding approach by the EU Commission: Years ago it had planned to open up the drinking water supply to competition in a draft directive. Because of the widespread public protest, Brussels gave up the request.

Dobrindt also recalls that the State of Berlin had partially privatized its water utility at the end of the 1990s in order to relieve its budget. The Senate later bought the shares back. The CSU wants to prevent such deals: “It is clear that the federal government must take its responsibility to give this guarantee,” said Dobrindt. The demand is part of a paper that is to be decided at the exam in Seeon.

1000 euros home office flat rate

Another requirement is a permanent home office flat rate: At present, working people can claim up to 600 euros as income-related expenses in their tax return. The CSU wants to specify the lump sum to 1000 euros and defer it.

The expansion of the maternal pension will also be remembered in Seeon. This is a core concern of the CSU. The fact that it is not in the union’s common election program is due to the CDU boss and candidate for chancellor Armin Laschet. He had rejected the claim because of the costs. No reason for the CSU to give up the mother’s pension. On the contrary, the little sister party wants to include it in its own supplementary election program and has declared it a condition for a coalition agreement.

And then there is the matter of taxes: with a shake of the head, the CSU took note that Laschet excludes tax cuts “at the moment”: “We don’t have the money for that,” he said ARD-Summer interview said. Not only does the Union’s election manifesto give a different impression. CSU boss Markus Söder also made it clear that for his party “relieving the burden on small and medium-sized businesses and crafts” was a “top priority”.

Clear expectations of Laschet

Now the regional group leader Dobrindt is making a clear statement: It would be “sensible that one should continue to deal with these ideas of the CSU.” In any case, Laschet will not be able to avoid it tomorrow when he comes to Seeon as the guest of honor. Host Dobrindt asserts that the CSU will work loyally with the CDU boss: “We want to work together to ensure that Laschet becomes Federal Chancellor.” On the other hand, Dobrindt leaves no doubt that his party has clear expectations of Laschet: “It was always good for the Union’s common chancellor candidates to take into account the special Bavarian concerns.”

This does not only apply to maternal pensions, drinking water supplies and tax cuts. The CSU struggles at least as much with the style of its candidate for chancellor. While Laschet renounces polemics and conflict, Dobrindt calls for “maximum mobilization”. Months ago, when the race for the candidacy for chancellor was still open, Söder had warned that “you cannot win a federal election with a sleeping car”.

From the point of view of the CSU, Laschet is now on the way in exactly this way. The fact that the Union has grown steadily in the polls of the last few weeks does not reassure the strategists of the little sister party.