Government declaration by Friedrich Merz: And suddenly you understand something!

What a “government declaration” of a Federal Chancellor is supposed to do is already in the word itself: Parliament and the public should be explained by the government’s policy. And as understandable as possible.

Friedrich Merz may not have given a spectacular speech this Tuesday. Yes, as a chancellor he speaks much more withdrawn than as an opposition leader.

But his second government declaration did justice to the purpose. After three years of Olaf Scholz and 16 years of Angela Merkel, this is not a matter of course. On the contrary, it is even remarkable. Because government declarations simply rushed out for a long time. Because they looked like they were kept by speech machines. With that, it seems, Merz wants to break.

In 25 minutes, the Federal Chancellor tried to explain the new German foreign and security policy before the NATO summit in Den Haag. Why is Germany suddenly investing 3.5 percent of the economic output for defense? Why did Israel attack Iran? Are there really too few negotiations with Russia? What is Vladimir Putin plans?

Merz comes late with trying a fundamental determination that he could have explained the upgrade earlier. But what noticed was that Merz relied on intelligibility and argument. For the passages of the attacks on the Iranian nuclear program, the part of the part of Russia, but above all for his position, was almost limitless.

Iran’s state rates are the annihilation of Israel, the state of the state of Germany. The massacre on October 7 was also not conceivable without Iran. He therefore hoped that the USA and Israel’s actions against the Iranian nuclear facilities will deploy the regime in Tehran from the goal, said the Chancellor.

This hope can be considered wrong, the allegations against Iran are exaggerated and the Israeli way for international law. Because Merz is not hiding behind political phrases or declarations of intent, his words are now becoming the subject of political debates. There will be talk about what Merz said. And above all, it will be contradicted. So it has to be, especially on questions of war and peace.

In his government declaration, Friedrich Merz spoke of a “new reality”, of wars in the world as “new normality”. This has to adapt Germany. “We ignored our Baltic neighbors from Russian imperialism for far too long,” he said, for example, towards Russia and admitted: “We recognized our mistake.” There is no way back behind this knowledge.

There are many million people in this country who see it differently. They consider upgrading to be wrong, even dangerous. Friedrich Merz will probably not have won these people with his speech. Perhaps she will drift his clarity on the street at some point. It must be the same.

The main thing is that this time ends in which Chancellor explained as cumbersome as possible that they would miraculously make sure that nobody has to worry about themselves and about this country.

The interpretation of the hints in their speeches were left to journalists. So often, orientation did not give politicians themselves, but their poets. This may be worthwhile for the increasingly much more important politician’s sewer, it is an anger for the citizens.

However, if only the parties of the political edges trigger emotions in the people, while the political center sedes itself out of fear of mistakes, something goes wrong.

The speech machine was and has laid out like a veil about German politics. With this era you don’t break in a government declaration. But this Tuesday was a start.

Friedrich Merz at least seems to have understood that something has to change. The basis of democratic debates are understandability and openness. And possibly a stricter weapon against the tenant of democracy than some believes.

Now he only has to stick to what he said today. Difficult enough.