{
  "id": 12667321,
  "title": "Koalitionsausschuss: Merz will Reformpaket bis zum Frühjahr umsetzen",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/koalitionsausschuss-merz-will-reformpaket-bis-zum-fruhjahr-umsetzen",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-07T16:30:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/koalitionsausschuss-merz-will-reformpaket-bis-zum-fruehjahr-umsetzen/100260452.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "Friedrich Merz, the leader of the CDU, anticipates a renewed commitment from the coalition to the agreed reform course following the elections in September, despite losses for the Union and SPD in the regional elections. Merz expects that the coalition agreement and the reform package decided in July will remain the business basis for the work of the coalition. He anticipates that he will receive a clear and unambiguous response at the Koalitionsausschuss meeting in the evening. The SPD had called for the revision of the reform course after the government parties' electoral losses, which Merz rejects. The Union and SPD leaders met for the first time in over three months for consultations. Merz emphasized that he does not expect the reform package to be fully implemented by Christmas but hopes that it will be ready in the spring of the following year. The coalition package, approved by the Koalitionsausschuss in late August, covers areas such as pensions, care, labor market, and taxes. However, the pension reform, particularly the abolition of the contributions-free pension after 45 years of contributions, is a point of contention between the SPD and Merz. SPD Employment Minister Bärbel Bas is working on a bill that includes exceptions for people who have worked particularly hard, such as those with physical disabilities. Merz emphasizes that the pension reform may be the most important domestic reform in the current legislative period, as it has significant implications not only for pension provision but also for the capital market, as it would allow for additional individual capital formation in the statutory pension system for the first time. The Chancellor is confident that the reform will be taken through the cabinet by Christmas and that decisions will be made in the Bundestag and Bundesrat in early 2027. The Koalitionsausschuss meeting is expected to be overshadowed by the aftermath of the September regional elections. In Saxony-Anhalt, an AfD politician was elected as Landtagspräsident in a secret vote, raising suspicions that he may have received votes from CDU members. However, Merz warned against \"premature conclusions\" and advised against viewing this as a \"false-Flag operation.\" The CDU leader also accused some opposition MPs of potentially helping the AfD to gain seats, hoping to discredit CDU members as AfD supporters.",
  "summary": "Nach dem Herbst kommt der Frühling der Reformen: Vor den Beratungen des Koalitionsausschusses räumt der Kanzler ein, dass das Reformprogramm bis Jahresende nicht zu schaffen ist.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}