Germany will promote the inherent value of its “dominant culture” and make migrants assimilate, an MP from the country’s government-in-waiting has said.

In a clear shift from the Angela Merkel era, the centre-right Christian Democrats Union (CDU) has made the concept of “Leitkultur” a key pillar of its manifesto ahead of snap elections in February.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Alexander Throm, the CDU interior affairs spokesman, said Leitkultur was fundamentally the principle that foreigners should adopt German cultural values and not vice versa.

“It is the way that we live in Germany as a cultural nation,” he said. “It concerns not only our languages and customs, but also our cultural and historical foundations. It ultimately means that people, no matter why they come to Germany, orient themselves towards this cultural basis, not the other way around.”

Respect for the equal rights of women, the rule of democracy and Germany’s post-war constitution are also considered key aspects of Leitkultur by the CDU – in addition to Israel’s right to exist, following the Oct 7 massacre.