Friedrich Merz: Five meaningful sentences from the chancellor showdown

It is the highlight of every budget week: the so -called general debate in the Bundestag. The pronunciation on the budget of the Federal Chancellor and Chancellery traditionally serves a fundamental exchange of blows. Numbers play practically no role, instead the head of government takes the opportunity to explain his policy – and the opposition to criticize them.

These five key rates fell in the debate on Wednesday:

In contrast to government declarations, the first word is in the general debate of the strongest opposition party, currently the AfD parliamentary group. It can set the sound in pronunciation. Alice Weidel, the co-faction leader, tried to frame the Chancellor and his coalition as a word-frame, the announced “Autumn of the reforms” To stamp as a symbol policy and – that was their central message – to draw the Chancellor as a conservative that is under a left blanket.

Merz begging in “Left-hand warehouse” Weidel said for approval – for example when choosing a judge for Karlsruhe. She disregarded that a two-thirds majority in the Bundestag (including the Left Party and the Greens) is necessary for the occupation. But so it served beautiful Weidel’s narrative that Friedrich Merz can be dictated his policy and thereby “Every election promise broken” have.

Contrary to his announcement in the election campaign, he had partially suspended the debt brake to the Chancellor that the return to nuclear power had failed. “The next CDU drop is announced in the inheritance tax”predicted by the AfD-Co boss. You expect one “Autumn of empty words”.

The Chancellor left the accusations of the AfD boss on the right. Merz was calm in the tone, not sharp or clattering. The motto: Here is the Chancellor, no longer the opposition leader. Merz tried to position himself as a reformer who had long started to convert the country. However, there is still a significant credibility gap between his cutting statements of earlier days and the large number of reform commissions used.

Merz swore up the Germans “profound reforms” a. But he hardly went into detail, remained in the vague. The external and security policy have already been presented, including the “Correction” In migration policy “successfully initiated”. All of this was long ago “Reform policy”.

That many of the “profound” Reform proposals by commissions have yet been developed, Merz represented as a requirement of reason: this serves the “well -known preparation” For broad approval in the population, he said, “not the delay or even the delay”. However, it may not be wrong that the Union and the SPD are simply disagree with retirement, care, civil allowance and also the difficult tax debate.

The Chancellor again rejected higher taxes for many earners. “We cannot keep the social promises by a few – and they are so wealthy – take as much as possible from what they have”said Merz. Finally, he asked for patience – the quiet admission that it is not that quickly. It will be Also a winter, spring, summer and the next autumn with reforms, he said.

The co-faction leader of the Greens concentrated her criticism on the Chancellor, combative, without becoming polemical. The goal: to position the Greens as critical but constructive opposition. Dröges narrative: “What would the opposition leader Merz have said to you?”

Shrinking economy, increasing inflation, high unemployment: it doesn’t take much imagination to paint out which harsh words the often foaming opposition leader Merz would have found for it. Dröge: “Are you not here today as an opposition leader and would say that the mood is too bad? The coalition is too disputed? And where are the big reforms?”

Dröges Kniff is to put the allegations in the room, but only spell indirectly. This rhetoric is already her “too flat” Dröge claims when Merz was still opposition leader. After all, Chancellor Merz couldn’t do anything for a US President Donald Trump and the difficult economy. She doesn’t measure him on that, said Dröge. But on what he real – and has to do. That is too little.

The SPD parliamentary group leader went into full rhetorically-against the AfD and for the welfare state. The Social Democrats clapped enthusiastically. With the otherwise rather friendly and conciliatory appearance by Matthias Miersch, this is not the rule.

He accused the AfD of a ominous nationalism, although this world situation needs a European shoulder. With a view to the Ukrainklieg, he referred to the right -wing populists as “Handlanger Putin”The one “Trumpism” cultivated. At the same time, Miersch stood behind the welfare state and made it clear (also to Chancellor Merz) what the SPD insists.

“We stand by the reforms”said Miersch, but: “We stand by a welfare state that gives the individual who gives individual security.” Everyone would have to participate, including the “Large broad shoulders, the great, great fortune”. Translated: the tax debate is not off the table. Miersch says it this way: you have “Maybe an open construction site”. Definitely.

As usual, the left faction leader rattled through her speech. Your speech should leave the black and red coalition as one of the social cold. Heidi Reichinnek obviously tried to emphasize the empty space, which the Social Democrats as a junior partner of a conservative CDU can hardly be occupied – and do not shy away from populist exaggerations.

“The only thing that rolls in your household are the tanks”Reichinnek complained – not the excavators as the coalition promised. It was the record attempt to play armor against infrastructure expenditure. Reichinnek does not mention that black-red tries to dissolve this conflict with an exception to defense spending on the debt brake.

The left-wing star rumbled never, because either is upgraded or “Tax gifts” would be made for large corporations. They did not lead to more investments, but to “Consumers of multimillionaires and billionaires”. It has to be about the majority of the majority, said Reichinnek across the board and called for an income tax reform for small and medium -sized incomes.

There is little revolution behind its revolutionary rhetoric: Such a commission also appointed black and red in the coalition agreement. However, Chancellor Merz initially made it with a financing reservation.