Press
A joint paper from the CDU and CSU for the European elections is here. The draft emphasizes Europe's defense capability.
Berlin/Munich – In the election campaign before the European elections CDU and CSU focus on security policy. The two Union parties are calling for a massive armament of the EU, including aircraft carriers and its own missile shield. “We need a comprehensive security agenda for the EU,” the news agency quoted dpa from the draft election program.
The aim is to have European armed forces in the sense of a “strengthened European Defense Union”, embedded in the structures of NATO, “in order to be able to defend ourselves together,” the paper continues. “The United Kingdom, as a leading European military power, should also be integrated in the best possible way.”
European elections: Union calls for EU Commissioner for Defense
The Union rejects anti-European tendencies; what is needed is a European internal market and not a national small-scale market. This applies to military equipment as well as to arms exports. The defense industry in Europe must grow. In addition, the EU's next long-term budget must provide significantly more resources for military needs and thus complement the efforts of the member states. The Union also called for its own EU defense commissioner.
European elections: Don't EU conservatives want to overturn the end of combustion engines?
According to the paper, the ban on vehicles with combustion engines that has actually already been decided should be abolished. In 2022, the EU agreed that from 2035 no new cars that run on gasoline or diesel should be registered. It was already stated in the agreement that a review would take place in 2026.
Manfred Weber, chairman of the Christian Democratic EPP group in the European Parliament, announced in December that he wanted to overturn the phase-out of combustion engines in 2035. Now the news portal reported Euractiv about a possible turnaround. A new draft EPP election program states loudly Euractiv With regard to the combustion engine ban: “We will only achieve the best solution if we use all technological possibilities without prejudice and ideology.” The CDU and CSU belong to the EPP parliamentary group.
Union before the European elections: asylum, nuclear energy, dominant culture
In addition, the draft summarizes many of the Union's well-known demands:
- Better border protection against irregular migration
- Outsource asylum procedures to safe third countries
- Reducing bureaucracy
- an EU free trade agreement with the USA, South America and the Asia Pacific region
- Continue to use nuclear energy
- Receive cash
- no assumption of debt by EU member states
- Emphasis on a European dominant culture
- “comprehensive support” for Kyiv in Ukraine war
- invest more money in research and development (target: three percent of GDP)
The 25-page paper is entitled “Europe with Security – For a Europe that protects and benefits” and was sent to members of both party presidencies on Sunday (March 3). (frs with dpa)
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