German conservative parties adopt EU election programme

Germany's opposition conservative bloc has adopted its joint programme for the European elections on June 9.

The leadership of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), unanimously adopted the paper at a meeting in Berlin on Monday, participants told dpa.

The meeting at the CDU headquarters was attended by party leaders Friedrich Merz, CDU, and Markus Söder, CSU, as well as EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, also a member of the CDU, and the chairman of the conservative European People's Party (EPP) in the European Parliament, Manfred Weber.

The four politicians plan to address the public after the meeting.

In the European election campaign, the CDU and CSU are focussing on a massive rearmament of the European Union, including aircraft carriers and its own missile shield. The parties are also calling for a separate EU commissioner for defence.

According to the election programme, the security situation in Europe has changed fundamentally in recent years, particularly as a result of the Russian war against Ukraine. Much more needs to be done for Europe's security and defence, the parties write.