Before the federal election, the sports show looks at the election programs. What are the parties planning on issues such as the Olympics, sports promotion or volunteering?
The election campaign before the early federal election on February 23, 2025 has begun. As usual, sport only plays a secondary role, but it’s worth taking a look at the election programs. The CDU/CSU has already published theirs, and there are drafts from the other larger parties. Only the Sarah Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) has not yet presented any details and wants to present its election program in January.
Sports policy plays no role in the preliminary election programs of the AFD and the Left Party, which is why only the CDU/CSU, SPD, Greens and FDP can currently be compared.
Olympic application:
All four parties support the efforts to bring the Olympic Games to Germany. However, it doesn’t get any more specific than that, not even when it comes to the year. The German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) is currently trying to organize the 2040 Summer Games with the alternatives 2036 and 2044.
Sports politics Structures:
The CDU/CSU wants to place sports policy in the Federal Chancellery and appoint a State Minister for Sports and Volunteering. This corresponds to the wishes of the DOSB and is currently a unique selling point of the Union. So far, the sport has been housed in the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Homeland.
The SPD wants to anchor sport as a state goal in the Basic Law.
Sports facilities:
The sports infrastructure in Germany is still dilapidated, but only the SPD and the Greens are explicitly addressing the issue – and quite generally. The SPD wants to “help states, municipalities and clubs with the renovation of sports facilities”. The Greens are planning to “expand the federal program for the renovation of sports facilities and swimming pools”.
Volunteering:
Volunteering is everyone’s darling, at least on paper, and everyone announces support. Concrete proposals: The CDU/CSU wants to “noticeably” increase the volunteer and trainer allowance and reduce the tax burden on volunteer work – the Greens also write the latter. Less bureaucracy and legal hurdles for clubs – that’s what the CDU/CSU and the FDP are demanding.
The Greens, together with states and municipalities, want to introduce a nationwide commitment card with which volunteers can, for example, use swimming pools and local public transport more cheaply.
Sports Promotion Act/Top sports funding:
Only the SPD explicitly mentions the recently failed sports funding law, saying that they want to develop it further “Reform of elite sport” continue consistently. The draft of the law was created in the SPD-led Federal Ministry of the Interior.
In the future, the CDU/CSU wants to support not only the Bundeswehr, police and customs, but also municipalities and companies in the dual careers of top athletes. She also wants to make sure that… “The sports billion is available for the coming electoral period”. Details about this are missing in the program. The Sportschau learned from CDU circles that one billion euros are to be anchored in the budget for sport over the legislative period, which will then benefit both top-class and popular sport.
The Greens want one “national top sports strategy” Make the allocation of funds more transparent; the FDP wants top-class sport to be included “efficient structures” support financially.
Center for Safe Sport:
Only the SPD mentions the independent organization planned by the traffic light coalition, although this is still a long time coming. “We stand with the Center for Safe Sport to combat physical, psychological and sexual violence.”
Anti-corruption agency:
The traffic light coalition had set out to create an independent integrity agency for sport. Only the Greens have such a plan in their election programs – with a view abroad. “We want to show that human rights and sustainability goals must be an integral part of sports policy. We want to use an agency to effectively combat corruption in international sports associations and create more transparency.”
E-sports:
The CDU/CSU wants to promote the e-sports landscape and recognize e-sports as a non-profit organization – the FDP also wants the latter. The Greens generally want e-sports to receive more attention and be recognized.
Federal youth games:
The CDU/CSU and FDP are taking up the hot topic of recent years. “Federal youth games with a competitive nature throughout Germany are a concern for us, which we are strengthening through the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs,” writes the Union. The FDP says: “We are maintaining national youth games with individual performance incentives and supplementing them with the opportunity to acquire the German sports badge there.”