CDU Saxony Relys on an App and Personal Support

The Saxon CDU wants to prepare for the future with a rejuvenation effort. In the digital age, however, modern media should not be the only tools supporting the party’s work. The Union is also striving for new forms of collaboration within its own ranks. All of this is outlined in a paper titled “The Saxon Union: Party of the Future,” which is set to be adopted at the party convention this coming Saturday in Chemnitz.

Modernizing party operations is not an end in itself

“The modernization of our party work is not an end in itself. Saxony faces major challenges—from economic and demographic change to trust in politics—and we, as the Saxon Union, must also address these,” Secretary General Tom Unger told the German Press Agency. With this key motion, the CDU aims to further develop its strengths as a people’s party.

“We are firmly rooted in our cities and communities, open to new ideas and people who want to get involved with us. This requires new opportunities for participation and modern, digital party operations,” said Unger. The goal is to become even more of a “participatory and innovative party.” “As the Saxon Union, we want to remain close to the people in the future, develop solutions together for the challenges facing our home region, and thus shape Saxony’s future with confidence and drive.” 

“Our approach to political action and party work is: listen, take on challenges, develop ideas and solutions together based on them, and finally work together to
turn solutions into successes,” the main motion states. In a digital world and society, smart and high-quality party work at the digital level is needed. Digital opportunities and tools can only serve as a complement to on-the-ground work. “For us, personal contact remains the central pillar of community and party work.”

CDU Wants to Foster a Culture of Learning from Mistakes

“We foster a constructive culture of learning from mistakes,” reads another passage in the resolution. At the same time, there is mention of a “deeply rooted Christian Democratic optimism about the future,” which should remain visible and tangible in our work and community. “At the same time, we have witnessed growing skepticism toward political parties in recent years. These developments are also felt within our local chapters. Executive boards and associations are aging or
cannot be fully staffed, and political work outside of election campaigns is becoming more difficult due to limited personnel resources (...).”

Work on the Member App

“In the digital age, party work must also take place in the
digital space,” the statement continues. For this reason, the party has been working intensively on ideas for an app and, as the exclusive pilot state association, has incorporated these ideas into the federal association’s planning. The goal is to use the app and continue to support its development in such a way that this party app becomes the “Swiss Army knife of the Saxon Union, which every member carries right in their pocket.” 

According to the proposal, the app is intended to allow CDU members to, for example, poll opinions and serve as a central archive for resolutions, motions, argumentation aids, and examples. Events should be manageable via the app—from invitations and registration to admission. Chat and messaging features within the app are also to be utilized: “This will also enable members who share the same interests to exchange ideas.”

The Saxon CDU currently has around 8,500 members. According to party figures, there were still about 20,000 members in the mid-1990s.