CDU on foreign affairs and defence

The CDU commits to a strong Bundeswehr and wants to push at the federal level for much more funding, personnel and modern equipment. In Hamburg it supports building up a homeland security regiment.

The CDU wants a strong Bundeswehr, Germany's armed forces. The Bundeswehr should get much more money, staff and equipment. Hamburg should get a homeland security regiment. That is a unit that protects the home country in an emergency.

The higher funding is to be aligned with the current threat situation. Cooperation between civilian bodies and the military is to grow, and the CDU wants more frequent exchange with the Bundeswehr's Hamburg state command. The platform points to the city's traditional ties to the armed forces and names the Helmut Schmidt University, the command and staff college and the Bundeswehr hospital as important sites.

The CDU rejects a civil clause at Hamburg universities, meaning a ban on research with possible military use. It argues that the Bundeswehr needs a high level of technology to fulfill its mission.

Some universities want no research for the military. This is called a civil clause. The CDU is against it. It says the armed forces need modern technology. Only then can they keep the peace.

According to the platform, some universities and departments have recently spoken out in favor of such a clause. In the CDU's view, it would affect not only contract research for the Bundeswehr but any discipline with conceivable military applications. Since Russia's attack on Ukraine, the question has to be reassessed. The Bundeswehr is described as part of society, tasked with preserving peace and the free democratic order.

The CDU wants to bring more career consulates back to Hamburg and step up economic cooperation with partner cities and metropolitan regions in the Global South. It backs the Bundeswehr (the German armed forces) in Hamburg and wants to reduce energy dependence on countries outside Europe.

The CDU wants more consulates in Hamburg. A consulate is an office that represents another country. Hamburg should work more with partner cities around the world. The CDU supports the German armed forces in Hamburg. Hamburg should depend less on countries outside Europe for energy.

As examples of the career consulates it would like, the platform names Britain, Italy, Ireland, Finland, and the Baltic and Benelux states. Hamburg's role in maritime shipping is to become more visible, also with reference to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. The CDU sees the military command academy, Helmut Schmidt University and the military hospital as important for security-policy ties with friendly states.

The CDU wants to set up a sister-city partnership between Hamburg and the Israeli port city of Haifa. It sees this as a sign of solidarity with Israel and of Hamburg's historical responsibility.

The CDU wants a partnership with the city of Haifa. Haifa is a large port city in Israel. The CDU says Hamburg stands by Israel. It does not accept hatred of Jews in Hamburg.

The platform points to terrorist attacks on Israel and describes Israel's right to exist as part of Germany's reason of state. The CDU states that it does not tolerate antisemitism in Hamburg. The partnership is meant to be actively practiced rather than exist only on paper.