A draft of the Christian Social Union’s (CSU) electoral program for the upcoming German federal election on February 23, 2025, has been made public, revealing a range of policy proposals that go beyond the joint election program of the CDU and CSU. The CSU’s “Bayern-Agenda” includes a call for a nuclear comeback, an expansion of the mothers’ pension, and a tougher migration policy.
According to a 14-page document, the CSU’s leadership is set to approve the program on Monday, with some points deviating from the joint CDU-CSU election program. The document emphasizes the importance of a strong Union in the upcoming election, stating that “the Bundestag election on February 23, 2025, is a real chance for a new beginning after three years of the failed grand coalition government. This new beginning can only be achieved with a strongly united Union, and this can only be achieved with a maximum-strong CSU.”
The CSU is advocating for the “option of nuclear power to remain open” and the “recommissioning of the last shut-down nuclear power plants to be examined.” The party also wants to foster cooperation with France and the Czech Republic for research, use, and construction of new-generation nuclear power plants, as well as the development of mini-reactors and nuclear fusion research.
Another key demand of the CSU is the expansion of the mothers’ pension, with the aim of “recognizing the value of all mothers by completing the mothers’ pension with three pension points for all, regardless of the birth year of their children.” The party rejects pension cuts and instead advocates for a stable pension system through “strengthening economic growth.”
The CSU also demands a change in migration and internal security policies. “Many people in German cities feel like they don’t belong anymore and are concerned about their safety” the document states. “The truth is: it’s getting out of hand, the influx is too much and no longer manageable.” Illegal migration to Germany must be stopped, according to the CSU.
The party aims to amend the constitutional right to asylum, stating that the individual right to claim asylum by anyone arriving in Germany must be abolished. The CSU also wants to end family reunification for subsidiary protected persons and all voluntary take-in programs.
Those who commit a crime must leave the country immediately, according to the CSU’s program. “In the case of prisoners serving a sentence, the deportation must take place from within the prison” the document states. “Those who cannot be deported must be taken into indefinite detention for deportation.”
Furthermore, the CSU demands a significant reduction in Bavaria’s contributions to the federal-state financial equalization, as well as regionalization of the inheritance tax. The party rejects the takeover of municipal old debts by the federal government.