Söder demands willingness to compromise in the coalition – mother's pension remains a fixed CSU position

Board throws its weight behind the mother's pension

According to Söder, the CSU board voted "nahezu einhellig" in favor of preserving the mother's pension. He described the benefit as "ein kleiner Beitrag mit großer Gerechtigkeitswirkung für viele Millionen Frauen in Deutschland". The mother's pension is an essential contribution to the "S" in CSU, that is, to the party's social responsibility.

At the same time, Söder called on all those involved to show movement. "Wir wissen alle, dass wir jetzt in den kommenden Wochen Kompromisse machen müssen. Jeder, auch wir", he said. He did not want to draw "maximale rote Linien" but rather demonstrate a willingness to shape outcomes. The weeks until the summer break are decisive.

The debate gained explosiveness from a statement from within the party's own ranks. CSU treasurer and Günzburg district administrator Hans Reichhart had told Bayerischer Rundfunk that the upcoming reforms required a willingness to "vielleicht für uns heilige Kühe wie die Mütterrente zu opfern, um das große Ganze tatsächlich zu erreichen". With that, Reichhart distanced himself from the mother's pension as a central CSU project.

CSU names its own core demands

Söder did not address Reichhart's remarks by name but reaffirmed the CSU's position all the more clearly. He said the CSU is aware of its responsibility "ob in der Steuer- oder in der Sozialversicherungspolitik". As clear positions of the CSU, he cited a cap on social security contributions and the strengthening of hospitals in rural areas.

With a view to the political mood in the country, Söder pointed to AfD poll numbers. "Die Wölfe stehen vor der Tür, wenn ich das sagen darf. Die Prozentzahlen der AfD zeigen es eindeutig", he said. This increases the pressure on the coalition to deliver results in the coming weeks.

Pressure from AfD poll numbers

The mother's pension had been pushed through in the black-red coalition by the CSU and has already been adopted by the Bundestag. Söder emphasized that the CSU will not reverse the expansion achieved in parliament. The dpa news channel was the first to report on the board meeting.

With the commitment to the mother's pension and the simultaneous appeal for compromises in tax and social policy, the CSU is seeking to secure its own profile points while at the same time increasing pressure on its coalition partners to show movement in the coming weeks. Whether the balancing act between maximal demands and willingness to compromise will succeed is likely to be decided by the summer break.