"Infighting over the budget, the financing of social security benefits and climate protection projects led to the collapse of Germany's previous coalition government of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), environmentalist Greens and neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP) in November 2024. Back then, Friedrich Merz was the opposition leader in the Bundestag federal parliament and took every opportunity to criticize the government for its quarrelling."
"According to him, they were undermining citizens' trust in politics. Less than a year later, Merz is chancellor and his coalition, of the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU) and the SPD, is likewise quarrelling. Again, the conflicts center on budgetary holes and social policy. Merz has been repeating that Germany can no longer economically afford its welfare state in its current form."
Infighting over the budget, social security financing and climate projects caused the collapse of the previous SPD–Green–FDP coalition in November 2024. Friedrich Merz criticized the former coalition for undermining citizens' trust while in opposition. Less than a year later Merz is chancellor of a CDU/CSU–SPD coalition that is likewise quarrelling over budgetary shortfalls and social policy. Merz has repeatedly said Germany can no longer afford its welfare state in its current form. SPD Co-leader and Labor Minister Bärbel Bas called that claim 'bullshit' in a speech to the SPD youth wing. A Deutschlandtrend poll found 77% dissatisfied with CDU/CSU–SPD interactions and 75% unhappy with government performance.
Read at www.dw.com
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