The CDU wants Germany to move further to the right on immigration

This article was originally published in English

The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) of Germany has made public his program for next year’s early elections, in which he advocates a position of hard line in matters of immigrationspending on defense and security y tax cuts. The party, led by former banker Friedrich Merz, appears well positioned to return to power, as in the latest polls leads the other German formations with about 30% in voting intention.

According to its electoral program, the CDU intends drive to Germany further to the rightespecially in matters of immigrationwhere he proposes a break not only with the current Government, but with Angela Merkel, the former leader of the party, who governed Germany for 16 years.

Among other measures, the CDU now demands a stricter asylum policy and one ‘de facto’ freezing of admissions asylum at the border. These policies can be difficult to applysince the European standards imposed by the Geneva Convention establish that EU countries have the obligation to examine asylum applications once the applicant is on European soil.

Border officials can deny entry to applicants if they pose a danger to the public, but the European Commission has the prerogative to intervene. However, countries like Greece and Poland They have been rejecting immigrants for several years without interference from Brussels.

The manifesto of the CDU also proposes to abolish subsidiary protection for the asylum seekerswhich is also enshrined in European legislation under the Geneva Convention. The party says it wants the law to be changed at the European level, which would mean that Germany would join a sharp shift to the right in politics. migration y asylum which has spread throughout the EU Member States.

Alongside these plans, the CDU says it wants to designate more countries as “safe” to deport immigrants more effectively; study the outsourcing of the asylum procedures to third countries; and reduce financial benefits to asylum seekers who have been told to leave Germany.

The party argues that its policies are “urgently necessary” to curb immigration, claiming the “influx” of people into Germany is “excessive.” At the same time, it proposes to accelerate the processing of visas for foreign skilled workersof which Germany need more urgently.

On the other hand, the manifesto promises reverse popular dual nationality policy introduced by the previous Government, under which citizens can have more than one passport for the first time in German history. Instead of granting nationality to citizens, the party proposes integration courses and considers the German passport to be “the end of integration, not the beginning.”

Defense and security

The CDU promises to inject the Army “at least” the 2% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country, thus keeping Germany in line with the defense spending obligation of the I’LL TAKEwhile improving defense procurement cooperation with the rest of Europe. “We are equipping the Bundeswehr to become fully capable of defense again,” proclaims the CDU manifesto.

The Government of Olaf Scholz, now bankrupt, has already reached the 2% threshold. However, despite the push given to military modernization following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the German armed forces were described as outdated and declining in an annual assessment published in early February this year.

The CDU has insisted on his support for Ukraineincluding the continued supply of weapons, and Merz is promoting himself as even tougher on Russia than Scholz, saying he would potentially allow the beleaguered country to use Taurus missiles to attack targets inside Russiasomething the outgoing chancellor has flatly refused to do.

However, Merz said this Tuesday at a press conference to present the manifesto that a country at war cannot become a member of NATO, implying that it could be more pragmatic in his support for Ukraine if he becomes chancellor. At the national level, Merz has proposed strengthening security by equipping “hot and dangerous spots” with video cameras and facial recognition programsclean mosques where “hate and anti-Semitism” are practiced and combat extremism on both the left and the right.

Tax cuts and welfare reforms

As for the faltering economy Germany, which has had little growth for two years, the manifesto of the CDU blames the previous government of having led the country “into recession.

The party proposes reduce corporate tax al 25%eliminate the German solidarity tax, increase the maximum tax rate to 80,000 euros and reduce VAT in the hospitality industry. The political program also states that the party would keep he “debt brake” of Germany, constitutionally enshrined, which restricts structural budget deficits to limit public debt. Scholz’s calls to reform the brake opened deep divisions in his coalition government and ultimately helped accelerate its collapse.

To finance the changes, Merz has proposed radical changes in the benefits system of Germany, advocating for a new “basic security” system to replace the current one, according to which unemployed adults receive at least 402 euros per month. The party claims that will withdraw benefits from adults who “are not willing to work,” but the manifesto does not clarify how that determination will be reached. The CDU says it will instead offer more support to job seekers, including language courses and more efficient employment centres.