(de-news.net) – Senior party officials underscored the strategic importance of projecting unity while advancing an agenda framed around structural transformation and economic renewal on the eve of the federal party convention of the CDU in Stuttgart. Parliamentary Managing Director Steffen Bilger indicated that the congress was intended to define a coherent reform trajectory designed to strengthen long-term growth potential and enhance national competitiveness, supported by policy initiatives the party regarded as both substantive and strategically consequential. Because this gathering represents the first federal convention since the CDU’s return to governing authority after a five-year period in opposition, its deliberations and outcomes were widely expected to convey institutional cohesion and political determination. Bilger further suggested that a visible demonstration of unity could reinforce the party’s credibility and electoral positioning ahead of forthcoming state elections in Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg, where political momentum and public perception are likely to play decisive roles.

At the same time, senior party leaders reaffirmed their strong support for party chairman and Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, while acknowledging that political and fiscal constraints continued to shape the government’s operational environment following the federal election. Secretary General Carsten Linnemann characterized Merz’s leadership as well aligned with prevailing political and economic conditions, emphasizing both its strategic relevance and its stabilizing function. However, he also noted that elevated public debt remained a structural limitation on policy flexibility, thereby narrowing the scope for immediate fiscal maneuver. In this context, he argued that restoring public confidence and consolidating governmental legitimacy would depend on the sustained implementation of reforms accompanied by clearly observable and measurable policy outcomes, which he identified as essential to strengthening institutional trust.

Internal party assessments reflected a combination of continued loyalty and underlying frustration regarding the pace of policy change. Former Hessian minister-president Roland Koch emphasized Merz’s deep personal and political identification with the CDU, contrasting this close alignment with the more distanced institutional image previously associated with former Chancellor Angela Merkel. At the same time, Koch expressed dissatisfaction with the perceived pace of reform implementation, suggesting that many within the party regarded progress as insufficiently rapid given the scale of political expectations. He attributed part of this sentiment to what he described as a strategic miscalculation involving the SPD, explaining that Christian Democrats had anticipated a broader willingness among Social Democrats to support policy adjustments considered necessary for national stability and long-term reform.

Fiscal and criminal justice reforms move to forefront

Deputy Federal Chair Karin Prien, while acknowledging that some party supporters had anticipated more immediate realization of campaign commitments, called for patience and emphasized the structural constraints inherent in governing. She argued that Merz’s leadership reflected a centrist orientation grounded in procedural continuity, institutional responsibility, and adherence to democratic norms, even where these considerations slowed the pace of policy implementation. Although internal voices had advocated more rapid or disruptive change, she maintained that deliberate, legally grounded reform remained essential to ensuring political stability, policy durability, and institutional legitimacy. The congress is expected to formally reaffirm Merz’s leadership through his first confirmation vote as chancellor, following his strong reelection as party chairman in 2024, thereby reinforcing continuity at both the party and governmental levels.

Policy deliberations at the convention are also expected to address ongoing fiscal and social policy disputes. Christoph Ploß, a Bundestag member and former head of the CDU in Hamburg, has introduced a motion opposing proposals to extend social insurance contributions to capital gains and rental income. He argued that such measures could introduce structural inconsistencies by creating benefit entitlements irrespective of existing insurance status, thereby complicating eligibility frameworks and undermining system coherence. In addition, he warned that expanding contribution requirements to include rental income could intensify housing affordability pressures, particularly in large urban areas already characterized by high rental costs and constrained housing supply.

Reform of criminal justice policy has emerged as another central issue under consideration. A proposal originating from the CDU’s Berlin organization in Berlin calls for lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 14 to 12 through amendments to the German Criminal Code. Under the proposed framework, judicial authorities would assess minors’ developmental maturity to determine legal accountability and authorize corrective interventions at an earlier stage when appropriate. Proponents argue that increased exposure to digital environments has accelerated minors’ awareness of legal and moral boundaries, while organized criminal networks have increasingly exploited the existing age threshold to evade prosecution. Supporters therefore maintain that enabling earlier judicial intervention would strengthen deterrence, enhance rehabilitative effectiveness, and address perceived gaps in legal protection, particularly in response to growing public concern regarding juvenile offending and its broader societal implications.