After 17 years and a multi-year basic programme process, the CDU adopted its new basic programme at its party conference in Berlin on 7 May 2024 with the title “Living in freedom. Leading Germany safely into the future”. This analysis with seven short theses and questions looks at the programme from a historical perspective.

An overview of the seven questions

1. Is the CDU a programmatic party?
2. Do four basic programmes constitute a programmatic party?
3. What are the basic programmes for?
4. How does the programme work internally? How did the participation process compare to the past?
5. How fundamental is the new programme and how does it compare with the other programmes?
6. What is new and typical for the 2024 basic programme?
7. Is the new basic programme a departure from Angela Merkel?

Read the entire analysis “On the basic programme by CDU 2024” in German here as a PDF.

Learn more about the history of the CDU

The online portal “History of the CDU” deals with milestones, structures and people of the party and provides important sources and documents. In addition to founding appeals and guiding principles, you will also find CDU programme documents since 1945.

Here you can access the CDU's guiding principles and basic programmes.