CDU candidate Dr. Astrid Mannes

Five questions for Dr. Astrid Mannes

How do you intend to strengthen the educational landscape at the federal level, and how can schools and educational institutions in your constituency specifically benefit from this?

Education is primarily a matter for the individual states. Nevertheless, the federal government can set priorities that have an impact on educational institutions in the constituency. Too many children leave primary school without being able to read, write, and do arithmetic. The CDU/CSU therefore advocates mandatory language tests in preschool. Children who do not speak German at an age-appropriate level must attend daycare or preschool to address their language deficiencies before starting school. The CDU/CSU calls for a nationally standardized high school diploma (Abitur) of a high caliber.
In the area of ​​vocational training, which is equivalent to academic education, flexibility in the workplace through partial and further qualifications is important. BAföG (Federal Training Assistance Act) and opportunities for supplementary income must be improved.

What measures do you support at the federal level to better manage migration, and how do you intend to ensure that these are implemented in a socially responsible manner in your constituency?

Illegal migration to our country must be stopped. Germany must decide who comes to us and is allowed to stay. Asylum procedures and deportations must be expedited. Social benefits must not be so high as to create a pull factor.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are considered the backbone of the German economy. What federal policy measures do you plan to implement to strengthen SMEs, and how can you provide targeted support to companies in your region?

The burden on businesses from high corporate taxes must be reduced by lowering this tax to a maximum of 25 percent. Bureaucratic requirements, reporting and documentation obligations, as well as redundancies, must be eliminated. The high energy costs, which are a burden on businesses, must be reduced by lowering electricity taxes and grid fees. Businesses generally need better conditions, not subsidies for individuals. All businesses and companies in the Darmstadt constituency will then benefit.

How do you intend to promote a sustainable energy transition nationwide, and how can local initiatives and projects in your constituency be given greater support?

The EU aims to promote low-emission heating solutions that are open to all technologies. We rely on emissions trading to efficiently limit emissions and provide the best possible climate protection. We are committed to research in the areas of batteries, new energy forms such as nuclear fusion, low-emission and environmentally friendly fuels for combustion engines, and the further development of existing energy sources. Our economy can benefit from innovations and developments in climate protection. TU Darmstadt is a leader in nuclear fusion research and, like other research institutions and companies, can therefore benefit from the EU's initiative.

What federal policy priorities do you set to advance the expansion of infrastructure in your constituency, and how can you ensure that the interests of your region are heard in Berlin?

As a member of parliament, I have drawn the attention of associations, institutions, organizations, and municipalities to federal funding programs and secured a significant amount of funding for my constituency.
Expanding public transportation is important to me. For example, I am strongly committed to extending the Odenwald Railway. To achieve this, the federal government must become more reliable and fully release the promised regionalization funds. I advocate for maximum noise protection along highways and railway lines.

In the next legislative period, the project for the new ICE high-speed rail line with an ICE connection to Darmstadt will enter the parliamentary process. It is therefore important to secure the best possible noise protection.

Summary of the election program for the 2025 election

I am committed to quality education. It is important to me that everyone in Germany learns to read and write and that Germany maintains its leading international position in research. As a local politician, the concerns of cities and municipalities and the problems at the local level are also very close to my heart. Therefore, I am a member of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group's working group on local government and intend to continue focusing my efforts there. The various levels of government must operate in close and fair dialogue, and federal politicians must always be aware of the impact their decisions have on other levels of government. Reliable federal funding for public transport (the dependable provision of regionalization funds) is also particularly important to me, so that transport companies have planning security. I have also paid special attention to the issue of noise abatement along highways and railway lines.