Union faction leader Friedrich Merz has called for a fundamental debate about the willingness to perform in Germany in view of the bad economic data. “We have to talk about the basic attitude in our country: Are we still willing to make an effort for our prosperity and our retirement income,” said Merz, who is also CDU chairman, to the newspapers of the Funke media group. He added: “In any case, one thing is clear: our prosperity cannot be maintained with an unconditional basic income and a 4-day week with a full salary.”
Merz replied to the interjection that he was asking whether the Germans had become lazy: “It’s not a question of laziness.” Germany has a bad government that punishes performance. “If you get the impression that it makes no difference whether you work more or less, you will try less.” The result is declining economic output. “So we have to talk more about performance justice,” demanded the Union faction leader. “It’s important to us that those who want to try harder are rewarded and not punished.” That is why the CDU is also proposing to make overtime tax-free.
Germany’s failure in sport “symptomatic”
Last Monday, the CDU board also spoke about sport during its deliberations in Berlin, said Merz. “The men fail at the World Cup, the DFB women are also eliminated early, and for the first time Germany does not bring home a medal from the World Athletics Championships. For me, that’s symptomatic,” complained the CDU chairman.
The leaders of the Union parliamentary group in the Bundestag will come together this Thursday for two-day consultations in Schmallenberg in Sauerland. If the leadership of the parliamentary group has its way, the content should be discussed behind closed doors. The debate about the right candidate for Chancellor of the Union for the 2025 federal election and the right time to determine him should not play a role.
On the first day of the retreat in the home region of Merz, the focus should be on economic policy and concepts for improving the difficult situation in Germany as a business location. As a guest, the group around Merz and CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt expects the former Bundesbank President and current Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Commerzbank, Jens Weidmann. On Friday, the parliamentary group leaders want to complete their exam on the topics of foreign and security policy.
CDU General Secretary: Are the sick man in the world
The CDU leadership around Merz had accused Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) of a dangerous misjudgment of the economic situation at their meeting. Although the analysis is correct, that there is a shortage of skilled workers, CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann said on Monday after consultations with the top committees of his party. “But to draw the conclusion from this that everything is fine and that we are not facing harder times is extremely dangerous.” When the International Monetary Fund (IMF) says that Germany has the worst growth of all major economies, “it shows that we are not just the sick man of Europe, but of the world.”
It is not enough to improve depreciation rules, Linnemann demanded that an overall concept is needed. The focus of the Union faction’s concept for strengthening the economy would be the fight against inflation, energy prices, skilled workers and the reduction of bureaucracy.
