Parties - Merz: First draft of the new CDU platform ready
The CDU Basic Constitution Commission has completed a first draft of the party's new basic program. "Tired but happy: after 15 hours of discussion, consultation and final changes, the first draft of the new #Grundsatzprogramm of the @CDU Deutschlands is ready! It will be presented to the committees on Monday," wrote party chairman Friedrich Merz on Wednesday on the platform X, formerly Twitter. Merz can be seen in a photo with members of the policy commission. It was agreed not to disclose the content of the draft.
The CDU initiated the process for a new basic program after losing power in the 2021 election. It is to be adopted at a federal party conference in Berlin from May 6 to 8, 2024. The current basic program dates back to 2007 and the new draft is to be presented to the party's presidium and then the executive committee this Monday by Merz and the chairman of the party's Program and Principles Commission, Secretary General Carsten Linnemann.
Once the draft has been approved by the Federal Executive Committee, it will be discussed with the party members according to the CDU's schedule and then adopted by the 1001 delegates at the party conference in May. In August, Linnemann said with regard to the new program: "The basic program must be right. It is absolutely crucial for the success of the CDU." It is crucial that the party is "thematically perceived as pure CDU". In opinion polls, the CDU/CSU is currently polling around 30 percent, well ahead of the SPD and Greens.
Tension on the subject of pensions
Linnemann had said at a policy convention in June that the CDU wanted to emphasize the principle of personal responsibility with the new program and bring the party "back up to date" after losing power in 2021. At the time, he cited the CDU's positioning for a "social year", which would not only be conceivable in the Bundeswehr or the fire department. In social policy, he said, those who are unable to work should receive full support from the state. However, those who can work should have to work, as this is also important for acceptance in the solidarity community.
Among other things, it is eagerly awaited how the CDU will position itself on the subject of pensions. In April, an ideas paper by the Expert Commission on Social Security with recommendations for a later retirement age caused a stir. It envisaged the retirement age being linked to rising life expectancy from 2030 - if life expectancy continues to rise by then as expected.
Read also:
- Year of climate records: extreme is the new normal
- Precautionary arrests show Islamist terror threat
- Numerous oil, gas and coal lobbyists at climate conference
- COP28: Emirates announce fund for climate projects
- Friedrich Merz, the CDU party chairman, announced on Twitter that the CDU Basic Constitution Commission had completed a first draft of the party's new basic program after 15 hours of discussion, which will be presented to the committees on Monday in Berlin.
- The new CDU basic program, dated 2007, will be presented to the party's presidium and then the executive committee by Friedrich Merz and Carsten Linnemann, the chairman of the CDU's Program and Principles Commission, on Monday.
- Carsten Linnemann, the CDU's Secretary General, emphasized the importance of the new basic program for the success of the party, stating that it must be right and the party must be perceived as "pure CDU" in order to regain support in opinion polls.
- There is tension within the CDU regarding the subject of pensions, and it will be interesting to see how the party positions itself following an ideas paper by the Expert Commission on Social Security recommending a later retirement age linked to rising life expectancy.
Source: www.stern.de
