After the CDU party conference, Johannes Winkel, chairman of the party’s youth wing, warned that both the state and the party stand at a crossroads. He told the “Rheinische Post” that next year will bring a €60 billion hole in the budget, forcing a choice between “a socially balanced yet fiscally effective reform of the welfare state” and completely dismantling the debt‑brake, “depending on Heidi Reichlen and the Left party”.

At the party convention a motion was adopted to stop further loosening of the debt‑brake. The decision underscored that not only the Young Union but the entire CDU will refuse to embrace a path toward structural state debt.

Winkel urged the party to become more reform‑ready, stressing that the demographic shift can no longer be ignored. “Reforms must arrive this year” he said.