After two years of intense discussion, Germany's CDU has now agreed on a new platform, party leader Friedrich Merz says. He told DW about the possible reintroduction of military conscription and other items on the conservative agenda.
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00:00 Mr. Matz, you're the leader of the opposition CDU party, the post-Merkel era, now a new party program which is a lot more conservative.
00:10 Are you also the future chancellor of Germany?
00:13 Well, we decided on this new program after two years of intensive discussions we had in our party.
00:22 This decision was unanimously taken on this party convention here in Berlin yesterday.
00:29 This is now the platform for our policy for the upcoming five to ten years.
00:35 All the other decisions we have to take will be taken in late summer this year after the elections in the three states in the east, which we have to win.
00:45 And the European elections which will take place on June 9. We are now focused on these elections.
00:52 So very diplomatic there on that decision. Part of your shift towards a new conservatism here is the reintroduction, at least partially, of military conscription here in Germany.
01:04 What's your view in relation to Ukraine? A lot of men of fighting age are here in the country and Ukraine wants to see cooperation from Germany to get them to Ukraine to fight.
01:17 Well, first of all, the Ukrainian government has to take a decision how to deal with these young men and women who are here in Germany as refugees.
01:28 And this is something which we have to discuss with the government.
01:32 And there is no room in my view for a decision which has to be taken only by the German government.
01:38 This is something which we have to negotiate and to deal with the Ukrainian government.
01:42 The German military service is lacking of about 30,000 people.
01:50 The number which should be fulfilled is roughly 220,000.
01:57 We are far below that and that's the reason why, one of the reasons why we are discussing the new military services requirements.
02:05 And the decision was made very clearly here on this party convention that we have to come back to what we had until 2011 in Germany.
02:14 And the law is just suspended. We can immediately reinforce the legal basis for this military service and the party convention decided to do so.
02:27 Now, also in your program you are tightening the asylum regulations. Also, there is a line on Islam in Germany not being welcome if it's radical, if it goes against German values.
02:41 What's your message to migrants who are here or planning to come to Germany?
02:45 First message is that those who are really integrated and willing to meet all the requirements we are having here in this country,
02:54 legally, culturally, that these people are really welcome and that we are an integration country,
03:01 willing to have people in this country who are willing to get integrated and are living in this country.
03:08 And the second message is those who are, for example, asking for Sharia state or for the Caliphate state, do not have a place in Germany.
03:18 And that is not our policy, that is not our political will and we are clearly giving the message who is willing to implement a Caliphate state in Germany is not welcomed in this country.
03:30 Germany has also seen a series of incidents where politicians and campaigners are being attacked. What will be your reaction to that?
03:40 The clear reaction has to be the erection of our legal system and those who are thinking that political debates can be made violently,
03:52 they should receive as well a clear message that those parties who are in the broader sense democratic parties in this country are not willing to accept that violence on the street is becoming a part of our democracy.
04:07 We are not willing to accept that and all those who are doing that have to meet clear consequences from our state.
04:14 Friedrich Merz, leader of the opposition conservative CDU party, thank you very much.
04:18 Thank you.