Bavaria's Minister President Markus Söder has rebuked criticism of Chancellor Friedrich Merz within the Union and called for greater unity. The dispute centers on the pension package, rejected by parts of the Young Union. Söder emphasized the need for team spirit amid current challenges.
Following a CSU executive board retreat in Munich, Markus Söder, the CSU leader, expressed concern over internal criticism of Chancellor Friedrich Merz. He called for more team spirit within the Union and less public complaints. "We are strengthening Friedrich Merz's back, explicitly so. And I would wish that everyone in the Union does that, because Friedrich Merz is the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany and also currently the Chancellor of the Union," Söder stated.
The conflict arose from objections by the Young Union and the Young Group in the Union parliamentary group against the federal government's pension plans. According to parliamentary sources, 18 members of the Young Group rejected the pension reform bill, fearing disadvantages for their generation. Söder described such constant nitpicking as unhelpful: "In light of the challenges and crises we have in our country, these are all just background noises that achieve nothing. We simply need more team spirit throughout the Union."
In addition, Söder advocated for tightening asylum policy. After recent border controls, it is now crucial to increase deportations and returns. He also demanded faster access to the labor market for migrants. The federal government must overall pick up the pace, for instance in the pension debate, economic policy, and the ban on new cars with combustion engines. "The clear line for Berlin must be: maximally pragmatic, maximally economically oriented, not delaying anything but rather accelerating," he explained. A potential coalition breakdown would be fatal and dangerous, as the coalition's success is decisive. The dispute over the pension package continues, with the Chancellor so far unable to prevail.