Union election campaign: CDU leader Merz: Election program is seriously financed

Union Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz defended the joint election program of the CDU and CSU against the accusation that the many promises of relief were not financed. “This is very serious because we do the counter-calculation,” said the CDU chairman and head of the Union faction in the ARD “Report from Berlin”.

“We would like to point out that just one percent (economic) growth – and that is the lower limit of what we have to achieve – means ten billion euros more government revenue,” explained Merz. In addition, the costs of citizens’ money have exploded and now amount to almost 50 billion euros. “We will turn this system of citizens’ money upside down and we will be able to save tens of billions,” he said.

The SPD and the Greens accuse the Union of making promises worth around 100 billion euros in its election program without saying where the money will come from. Among other things, the Union promises to work in a new coalition for tax relief and a reduction in energy costs.

However, Merz does not want to support the current tax relief of the old traffic light parties SPD, Greens and FDP by reducing the so-called cold progression by influencing the Union Prime Ministers. The traffic light project has already been approved in the Bundestag, but still requires the approval of the states in the Bundesrat. “It’s just another five days, something the federal government needed three years to do and couldn’t come to an agreement on,” said Merz. And with a view to Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD): “He has to talk to the states, because more than half of what he promises here has to be paid for by the states and municipalities in Germany.”

Merz also refused the appeals of the red-green minority government to do something about the sharply rising energy costs, citing the lack of budget planning as a result of the coalition break: “That is a path that we certainly cannot follow, simply because there is none There is a budget for it.”

According to him, the Union wants to go beyond its election program and submit an “Agenda 2030” with further concrete proposals to stimulate the ailing economy in the second week of January. However, various annual statistics should be awaited and the situation analyzed over the turn of the year.