Chancellor Merz changes CDU course after election defeats

German Chancellor and leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Friedrich Merz, has presented a renewed political course for the party after its defeats in regional elections in eastern Germany. The change is aimed at restoring the trust and popularity of the ruling party.

The new party manifesto emphasizes affordability and greater social justice. According to Politico, this approach sounds softer and closer to the traditional messages of the Social Democrats than to the hard-line rhetoric with which Merz has been associated so far.

“We must fight both the real and the perceived injustice in our country and make people's lives more affordable in the shortest possible time“, Merz said at the CDU headquarters in Berlin.

Promise of a lower electricity tax

As a concrete measure, the chancellor presented a plan to reduce the electricity tax to the minimum level allowed by the European Union. According to him, this should relieve both households and German industry. Merz estimated the annual cost of the measure to the budget at around 5 billion euros.

However, Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil expressed doubts whether such a reduction could be sustainably financed. He did not reject the idea itself, but pointed out that there must be a reliable source of funds. No specific deadline has been announced for the introduction and adoption of the necessary legal changes.

Conservative positions remain

The turn to social issues does not mean a rejection of the CDU's core conservative positions. The document envisages a reduction in state regulation, a restriction on the influx of asylum seekers and the deportation of foreigners accused of committing crimes. Merz also promises to continue reforms aimed at cutting spending.

The chancellor acknowledged that change will not happen overnight.

„We have to get out of this deep hole, as well as overcome the crisis of confidence. We are correcting the course. We want to show that we are ready for change, and given the election results, we simply have to be ready for them“, Merz said.

The new course must show whether the CDU can simultaneously attract voters disappointed by the high cost of living and maintain the support of its conservative base. According to Politico, it is still unclear whether the change in messaging will be enough to boost Merz's popularity and stabilize the government.

Sources: news.bg, onvista.de, de.euronews.com