CSU party conference
Merz wants more German presence in Brussels

CDU leader Friedrich Merz wants to make Germany more visible in Europe again. photo
© Peter Kneffel/dpa
The party leaders of the CDU and CSU fought a duel over the candidacy for chancellor. There is now agreement. The CDU leader wants this to also become a feature of a new federal government.
The increasing protectionism among major global economic players such as China and the USA is forcing Europe to have even more common ground but also even more competitiveness, said Merz. “We face together the challenges that are now arising from protectionism,” he explained.
Germany must play a larger role in the EU again. “We are not alone in the world, but the world is waiting for us, for our contribution. This requires more growth in Germany. The prerequisite for this is an Agenda 2030, which aims to ensure that performance and hard work are worthwhile and that bureaucracy is reliably reduced become.