CDU on Europe

The CDU wants Saxony-Anhalt to keep receiving appropriate consideration in EU cohesion policy from 2028 onward, with the money aligned with the state's development goals. To that end, the state's representation in Brussels is to be strengthened.

The EU gives money to regions that are less developed. New rules for this start in 2028. The CDU wants Saxony-Anhalt to keep getting enough money. The state's office in Brussels should become stronger. The state should really be able to use the money.

Regions undergoing structural and demographic change, and the particular situation of large eastern German states, are to be taken into account in the new funding period. Because the federal government is expected to play a bigger role in cohesion policy, the CDU calls for procedures agreed early between the federal and state levels that protect regional leeway. Transition rules for the 2028 start are meant to keep money from lapsing because of tight deadlines. In addition, businesses, universities, research institutions, and municipalities are to get easier access to EU programs managed directly by Brussels. The CDU also wants to keep supporting cross-state projects of the Central German Metropolitan Region.

The CDU wants to give more support to exchange programs such as Erasmus+ and Interreg, especially for apprentices, school students, and young skilled workers. Town and school partnerships are to grow, and schools, public administration, and universities are to build up more knowledge about Europe.

Young people should be able to go to other European countries more often. The CDU wants to give more support to programs like Erasmus+. This is especially for apprentices, students, and young skilled workers. There should be more partnerships between towns and schools.

According to the platform, exchange strengthens education, openness to the world, and ties to Europe. European topics are to be brought into local-level dialogue. The CDU wants to deepen the state's long-standing exchange with its European partner regions.

The CDU commits to the EU and its values but wants to confine it strictly to core tasks. It counts among these protecting the external borders, stopping illegal migration, and stronger common defense; it permanently rejects a debt and transfer union.

The CDU supports the EU. But the EU should only deal with its most important tasks. It should protect its outer borders. It should stop illegal immigration. The countries should defend themselves better together. The CDU does not want shared debt in the EU.

The platform names freedom, democracy, the rule of law, and subsidiarity as the EU's values; subsidiarity means the higher level only regulates what the lower level cannot handle itself. The CDU wants to press for these to be observed. In its view, doing without joint debt and transfers keeps the EU economically competitive.