West ties and strong military
CSU calls for German leadership
04/28/2022, 12:50 p.m
In view of the changed security situation, the CSU wants Germany to commit to transatlantic cooperation. In addition, Berlin should make stronger progress in all alliances.
As a reaction to the Russian war in Ukraine and the foreign policy situation, the CSU relies on ties to the West, military strength and independence. “The Christian Social Union stands for a Germany capable of forming alliances and taking action, which, based on its economic and military strength, sees itself as the engine of transatlantic cooperation, as a creative force in Europe and as a responsible actor in the international community,” says the lead motion of the party executive, which is to be decided on Saturday at the CSU party conference in Würzburg.
In the eight-page paper entitled “Rethinking security, sovereignty and strength – requirements for Germany in a new era”, the CSU advocates an energy supply that is independent of Russian imports, which, in addition to renewable energies, also includes extended use of nuclear power and gas supplies from other countries. “In the long term, Germany and the EU must expand their range of energy suppliers. Southern hydrogen and gas pipelines are the prerequisite for this,” it says.
Europe must also become independent of imports in the “long term” when it comes to food supplies: “Neither scarcity nor skyrocketing prices should become a shortage or poverty trap for the population.” The EU obligations to set aside four percent of arable land from 2023 must be temporarily suspended.
CSU wants fake news commissioner of the federal government
In addition, the CSU calls for numerous measures to increase the defense capability of Germany and Europe. In addition to a federal fake news officer who is supposed to uncover disinformation and information manipulation, this also includes a civil and population protection system that is adapted to the challenges and that can also take targeted action against cyber attacks.
The Bundeswehr wants to massively expand the CSU and, like the federal government, strengthen it with better equipment so that it can meet the new requirements as part of NATO and a “real European defense union” including a military headquarters. In Europe, the Bundeswehr must act as a framework nation for intervention troops.
To strengthen foreign policy, the CSU calls for the establishment of a “National Security Council”. This should bundle cross-departmental cooperation, improve analytical skills and joint decision-making and be located in the Chancellery.
With a view to the integration of Ukrainian war refugees in Germany, the CSU insists in the paper on “long-term” financial support for the municipalities from the federal government. At the same time, the Ukrainians who have already arrived would have to be distributed to all federal states. Furthermore, the federal government must make a regulation on the allocation of residence in order to relieve the conurbations and cities.