CDU wants to reduce electricity tax

The CDU wants to campaign for a reduction in electricity tax for everyone to the European minimum. Financial flexibility in the budget should be used for this, explained Federal Chancellor and party leader Friedrich Merz after a CDU presidential meeting in Berlin.

Merz also referred to an improved economic forecast. There could be scope for relief “if growth solidifies and becomes more stable,” said Merz.

The CDU had already promised to reduce the electricity tax in its “immediate program for prosperity and security”, which was decided at the party conference in February 2025. Relief was also guaranteed in the coalition agreement. However, so far it has only been reduced for certain economic sectors.

Relief, Justice and Security

The CDU wants to focus more on the issues of relief, justice and security in the future, said Merz. “We have to work our way out of a low point, including a crisis of trust.”

It is also planned to engage more closely with the party base again in the coming months. For this purpose, among other things, a district chairman's conference in November and several member and regional conferences are planned.

Magdeburg “won’t let the CDU rest”

The CDU executive committee met in Berlin for a two-day retreat after the party suffered serious defeats in the state elections in September. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the CDU missed entry into the state parliament for the first time. The Union is also doing poorly in surveys at the federal level: it is now only at 20 percent in the current ARD Germany trend.