How does the CDU make it back into the federal government? The new Secretary General Linnemann wants to score points with conservative values and core issues. Performance must be rewarded again, he emphasized in the daily topics. At the same time, he shared out in the direction of the Greens.
The new CDU general secretary, Carsten Linnemann, has set a clear direction for his party: “A people’s party like the CDU must concentrate on the core issues, the realities of people’s lives,” he said in an interview with the daily topics. “We mustn’t look to the right or left or what other parties are doing. We have to stand for 100 percent Union again,” said Linnemann.
His party must set clearer priorities so that people know what they are putting their cross for when they vote. Together with party leader Friedrich Merz, he wants to broaden the CDU again. “I trust myself to do this job,” said the new general secretary.
Into the future with Christian values
A new basic program is intended to sharpen the profile of the Union. The party already has a value foundation with the Christian image of man. “I want to have my own signature tune that makes me want to see the future,” said the Secretary General. The party needs five to ten topics that make the CDU distinguishable from other parties.
If Linnemann has his way, the concept of ‘promoting and demanding’ should be part of it. Performance must be rewarded again in Germany, he demanded in an interview with the daily topics. Someone who has worked on construction sites for 45 years can no longer work until they retire at the age of 63. According to the CDU politician, these people should be encouraged. At the same time, those who receive citizen income would also have to take a job if they could work. Ultimately, what is needed is a functioning constitutional state, and the law must be enforced.
active pension and company year as focal points
The CDU general secretary is also committed to a compulsory society year for young people. After school, they should work for a year in a non-profit organization and thus make a contribution to society.
The Union also wants to set itself apart from the other parties when it comes to pensions. Pensioners who want to work voluntarily should be able to do so tax-free up to a certain amount, said the 45-year-old.
For Germany he would like to see a mentality of action. His vision is that “people can just start walking and not suffocate in bureaucracy and over-regulation.”
Distinction from the traffic light coalition
Most recently, the party also tried to position itself by distancing itself from the ruling traffic light coalition. CDU leader Merz described the Greens as the main opponent in the government.
Linnemann also criticized the traffic light: “The decoupling of the current government is so great that we are disenchanted with politics.” You can’t just deal with “Berlin-Mitte” topics. “With the Greens, I sometimes have the feeling that the collective, the state, thinks and decides what needs to be done,” said Linnemann. The heating law is an example of this. The law is very far removed from the reality of people’s lives.