“We will do it, we can do it,” the chancellor said today, in an attempt to overturn , mainly because of the problems in the economy and the malfunctions in the governing coalition. Mr. Mertz also assured that his government has both the strength and the unity required to deliver the necessary solutions.
“Brake” on pension cuts and a three-pillar model
Despite the internal debates, “the coalition in Berlin has the strength and the necessary unity and in any case I am confident that we can overcome the current difficulties,” the chancellor said earlier this evening, mainly ahead of consultations on the push for pension, healthcare and income tax reform. From Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where state elections will be held after the summer with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) leading the polls with more than 35%, Mr Merz called on the social partners to submit their proposals to the chancellor and sternly demanded “an end to negative criticism and petty party politics”.
“We will succeed, we can succeed, if we all stand together and if we believe in ourselves a little more,” said Friedrich Merz, inevitably referring to the well-known statement of former Chancellor Angela Merkel when Germany was facing the refugee crisis in 2015. “Germany must regain its self-confidence and in a relatively short period of time present a very different image.” continued Mr. Mertz, and was quick to assure that there would be no pension cuts, pointing out that with this issue “the risk of inciting hatred is particularly high”.
“Compulsory pension insurance remains the most important pillar of pension provision,” he said, responding to criticism from the Social Democratic Party (SPD) that he is willing to challenge. “The other two pillars, however, must play a stronger role,” explained Mr. Mertz, referring to private and occupational pensions.
“The pension system will continue to provide a secure and good income in old age, but now it is based on three pillars and no longer on one big pillar and two very small ones,” he clarified and called on his government partner “to show a willingness to compromise.”
The crash test of the elections and the crucial bet of East Germany
Speaking to members of the Christian Democratic Party (CDU) in Mecklenburg-Pomerania, the chancellor accused the AfD of “a form of nationalism that is harmful to Germany” and made it clear that the upcoming elections in that state, as well as in Saxony-Anhalt and Berlin, “also matter beyond the borders of the states.” In this election, in September, “much more is at stake than the future of a region. It is about whether we, from the political center of our country, still have the strength, the will and the way to face and solve today’s political problems,” warned Mr. Mertz.
Referring to the conditions prevailing in the eastern regions of the country, he stated that Germany has rich experience of historical upheavals and transformations, which, he said, is particularly true of eastern Germany. “In the East, people know very well what it means to lead a country through such a transformation. Eastern Germany has long ceased to be the economic region of the country that has to make up for lost ground,” he said and praised the region’s “dynamism” in business and science.
“In a relatively short time, technology and research hubs have emerged in this region that are already promoting innovation for the whole of Germany, while there is still room for improvement in attracting investment, retaining young people in the region and strengthening cutting-edge research in the Baltic region,” he underlined.
