Overview

• Eastern German CDU leaders reaffirm their support for Friedrich Merz as the Union's chancellor candidate days before the Bundestag election.
• The CDU's new policy paper, 'Gemeinsam anpacken. Für einen neuen Aufbruch Ost,' outlines initiatives to boost entrepreneurship and representation of East Germans in leadership roles.
• Saxony-Anhalt's Minister President Reiner Haseloff emphasizes the importance of preserving the region's rebuilt chemical industry and advancing climate protection efforts.
• Saxony's Michael Kretschmer criticizes inadequate transport links to Poland and the Czech Republic, calling for improved infrastructure to connect Eastern Europe.
• Thuringia's CDU leader Mario Voigt advocates for enhanced rural healthcare access over cannabis legalization, proposing regional health centers to reduce wait times.