Overview
- Friedrich Merz secured 91.17% in his re-election as CDU chair in Stuttgart, a result positioned to boost campaigns in Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate.
- Repeated breakdowns of the CDU’s electronic voting system forced a switch to paper ballots and delayed the announcement of results.
- Delegates approved a platform calling for a social media ban for children under 14, with mandatory age verification and sanctions for violations.
- The party adopted a stance against any further relaxation of Germany’s debt brake after a motion pushed by the Junge Union, risking friction with the SPD partner.
- Broader JU proposals on pensions and sick leave were deferred to parliamentary bodies after resistance, while Angela Merkel’s appearance and a public show of cooperation with CSU leader Markus Söder underscored efforts to signal unity.