Merkel's party outlines plans for new political programme

dpa German Press Agency Published: Tuesday May 8, 2007

Berlin- Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic
Union (CDU) Tuesday outlined plans for a new party programme that
includes the controversial issue of a guiding culture in Germany.
CDU Secretary General Ronald Pofalla said the goal of the party
was to ensure that citizens could live "free and secure in a society
of equal opportunities."

To achieve this, "it is necessary that there is an acceptance in
Germany of a Leitkultur," or guiding culture, he said in presenting
a draft of the new programme which will be discussed by the party
before being put to a vote at its annual congress in December.

The term Leitkultur is a controversial concept which has figured
prominently in the political debate in Germany about national
identity and immigration.

Critics say it is associated with a monocultural vision of German
society, with ideas of Western cultural superiority, and with
policies of compulsory cultural assimilation.

But Pofalla said the concept of Leitkultur, which can also be
translated as leading or core culture, encompasses values stemming
from the German constitution, a responsibility arising from history,
patriotism and competence in the German language.

Germany was a nation of integration, he said, and its main goal
was a society based on equal opportunities.

Opposition Free Democrat Party (FPD) spokesman Dirk Nebel said
the draft represented an inept attempt to revive "conservative
rallying cries" of Leitkultur.

The draft, which was drawn up by a panel of experts who sifted
through proposals advanced by 70,000 CDU members and ordinary
citizens, also calls for greater steps to protect the environment.

It also calls for a limited-term, continued use of atomic energy
- a proposal which is likely to meet with opposition from Merkel's
ruling coalition partner, the Social Democrats.

The two parties agreed to phase out nuclear power by 2020, but
some members of CDU have called for delaying the shutdown in order
to meet targets to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

The draft also refers to the chances presented by globalization
and calls for changes in the social dimension of Germany's market
economy in order to meet the challenges of the future.

© 2006 - dpa German Press Agency

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