CDU Chairman Friedrich Merz stated that he opposes lowering the voting age for German federal elections (Bundestagswahl) from 18 to 16. Speaking during an open question session at the Catholic Day in Würzburg, Merz expressed his skepticism regarding any general lowering of the voting age.
He raised concerns about the constitutional logic, arguing that if Germany were to lower the active right to vote, it would be difficult to justify why the passive voting right-the ability to run for office and be elected-should remain untouched. Merz pointed out that this issue was already addressed during the previous reform, which lowered the age from 21 to 18. At that time, the initial law only granted the active voting right at 18 while keeping the passive right at 21, but this was later corrected to align both rights with the age of majority.
Merz emphasized his belief that keeping the active and passive voting rights aligned at 18 years old is the correct approach, as this age marks full legal adulthood and responsibility. Although he admitted he could not be persuaded by counterarguments, he stated that no arguments have truly convinced him. He concluded by reiterating his preference that the active and passive voting rights remain at 18 for the Bundestag elections.
While the federal voting age remains at 18, Merz noted that Germany does recognize voting rights for younger citizens in other areas. For instance, voting for the European Parliament can be done starting at age 16, and furthermore, several German states have already allowed 16-year-olds to participate in state and local elections.