Junge Union Meets in Bonn: Merz and Söder as Speakers

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Junge Union Meets in Bonn: Merz and Söder as Speakers.

From October 16 to 18, 2026, the Junge Union will gather for its Deutschlandtag in Bonn. Announced as speakers are CDU leader and Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz as well as CSU leader Markus Söder. This puts the youth organization of CDU and CSU at the center of the party's internal reform debate this autumn.

According to the Frankfurter Rundschau, two major topic blocks are at the center: artificial intelligence and digitalization on one side, pensions and generational fairness on the other. Both areas directly affect how the younger generation in Germany will live, work, and provide for old age.

For you, this means: For three days, young Union members will discuss which direction their party should take in the coming period. When the Federal Chancellor and the CSU chairman speak together there, it's not just about a gathering of the JU. It's about how serious the Union is about reforms in the current legislative period.

AI and Digitalization as Focus

The focus topic of artificial intelligence and digitalization picks up on a debate that also concerns the federal government under Merz. What concrete demands the JU will formulate in Bonn and whether they align with the federal government's line, the deliberations will show. The advance report from the Frankfurter Rundschau only reveals that the topic is at the top of the agenda.

Pensions and Generational Fairness

On the subject of generational fairness and pensions, the Junge Union is traditionally one of the voices within the Union family that advocates particularly loudly and emphatically for a course correction. The Bonn conference comes at a time when the discussion about the future of the pension system continues nationwide. What will ultimately end up in a key motion cannot be derived from the advance report – what is certain is that the topic forms one of the two focal points.

What Matters in Bonn This Weekend

The Deutschlandtag is the most important federal congress of the Junge Union. It takes place once a year, deliberates on key motions, and sets programmatic accents for the Union family. Whether the JU will ultimately prevail with its demands and what signals Merz and Söder will send in Bonn this weekend will become clear from Friday onwards. Until then: the topics are set, the speakers are confirmed – the rest remains open.