Comment: Someone has to keep the shop together - good that Merz is doing it
The black-red coalition is meeting for a cabinet retreat. But the centrifugal forces are strong - and are making it difficult to implement the reforms on pensions, health and taxes one-to-one.
The German Chancellor is urging their team to work towards a swift and comprehensive economic relief package, highlighting the country's deep-seated economic problems. However, this move has been met with resistance from within the Chancellor's own party, the CDU, particularly from three eastern state premiers who have previously opposed pension reform.
Additionally, Health Minister Carsten Linnemann is now seeking to revisit health reform, further exposing divisions within the party. The Chancellor's coalition partner, the SPD, has also begun to voice concerns about plans to raise the retirement age from 63.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
