Germany’s conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party to the Christian Democrat Union (CDU) and a core component of the current federal coalition government, has convened for its annual winter retreat at Seeon near Lake Chiemsee.
Ahead of the meeting, which is a private event at a Benedictine monastery, the party released a 30‑page resolution paper outlining its intended priorities for 2026. These range from sweeping changes to immigration and welfare systems to proposals on energy, policing and economic reform.
The plans, further explained by CSU group leader Alexander Hoffmann in an interview with the MĂĽnchner Merkur, spell out some of the major policy pushes that can be expected from Bavaria's conservative leaders in the coming year. They have already drawn strong reactions.
Tough talk on immigration
Among the party's priorities, a dominant theme is immigration -- specifically the party is continuing to push for a sharp tightening of migration policy.
The CSU resolution paper calls for a “major deportation offensive” in 2026, including scheduled deportation flights to Syria and Afghanistan, along with nationwide departure centres and a dedicated “deportation terminal” at Munich Airport.
The draft also seeks:
- the loss of protection status for any refugee who travels on holiday to their country of origin
- a tougher stance towards Ukrainian men deemed fit for military service, who the CSU says should return to Ukraine to support its defence
- stricter measures against what they party calls “poverty migration”, including raising barriers to the welfare system and aiming to tighten the definition of “worker” in the EU Free Movement DirectiveÂ
- a requirement for asylum seekers with assets to contribute to the cost of their stay in Germany
Economic experts have reacted strongly to the proposals. Marcel Fratzscher, President of the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), told the business newspaper Handelsblatt that the CSU’s plans would be "a serious mistake with enormous economic costs for Germany."
“A deportation offensive could push the German economy back into recession, as several hundred thousand jobs would be lost in the short term,” he added.
READ ALSO: The planned changes to immigration and citizenship in Germany in 2026
Fratzscher also noted that many Syrians are now employed in system‑relevant sectors such as healthcare and nursing, meaning that deportations could deepen existing labour shortages.
Numerous politicians and experts also questioned both the morality and legality of the proposal. Migration expert Gerald Knaus argued that "a party that supports the rule of law should not make promises…that it cannot keep."
Talking to Deutschlandfunk radio, he pointed out that large parts of Syria remain impoverished, millions are still displaced and that Syrians in Germany have legal rights.
READ ALSO: The CDU's rightward shift on immigration is costing the party votes
What else is the CSU proposing?
Beyond migration, the CSU included a broad range of domestic policy goals in the resolution paper, covering topics from youth justice to nuclear power, social policy and transport.
Children in court
The CSU is reportedly hoping to introduce a “responsibility procedure” that would enable juvenile courts to impose educational measures on children as young as twelve. At present, criminal responsibility in Germany begins at fourteen.
Bringing back nuclear power
Three years after Germany shut down its last nuclear reactors, the CSU is campaigning for a return to nuclear energy through small modular reactors (SMRs).
The party argues that these reactors would be safer than previous models and produce less waste. Nina Scheer of the Social Democrat Party (SPD) is reported as saying that the proposal amounts to a denial of reality.
READ ALSO: 'Nuclear power is a dead horse in Germany' - Scholz rejects reopening plants
Driving licences at 16
The CSU is pushing for accompanied driving from age 16 for category‑B driving licences – a step currently allowed only from age 17 in Germany.
Economic and welfare reforms
According to reports in Der Spiegel, CSU leader Markus Söder has set out a wide‑ranging catalogue of domestic reforms that he believes Germany must tackle urgently.
He argued that working hours should be increased in view of mounting demographic pressures, and that the country’s healthcare system needs a fundamental overhaul – including an end to sick notes issued by telephone.
Söder also called for the corporate tax reduction currently scheduled for 2028 to be accelerated and brought forward to 2026, insisting that faster relief is essential to support economic recovery.
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