German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged the SPD to demonstrate greater willingness for reforms. In a speech to the CDU Wirtschaftsrat in Berlin, he warned of limits to his patience. He criticized the SPD for 'dreaming' of democratic socialism.
On Tuesday evening, May 5, 2026, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) addressed the CDU Wirtschaftsrat's annual meeting in a Berlin luxury hotel. He was welcomed by President Astrid Hamker with "Herzlich willkommen zu Hause," as she called for pathbreaking reforms.
Merz highlighted the serious economic situation: "The macroeconomic crisis is here, and it is big." Jobs were lost and companies went insolvent every day. "I have been very patient," he told the SPD, noting the Union's many compromises over the past twelve months. "There are limits to our willingness to compromise."
He criticized the SPD for reflexive calls for higher taxes and debt, as well as burdens on the middle class and crafts. "The SPD believes more in redistribution," while the CDU believed in the social market economy. He rejected speculation on a minority government or new elections: "A minority government is not an option for me."
Merz outlined reform plans by 2035, including digitalized administrative processes and affordable energy. "Germany has the strength for a new beginning," he said, promising a country that believes in itself again.
