Friedrich Merz and the delicate minimum wages

Friedrich Merz now wants to clear for a few days, come to rest a little. The past few months have been extremely exhausting, said the fast chancellor and then added two things to record that should hardly contribute to relaxation of the overall situation. In any case, shaking the head is large for the future coalition partner.

Neither the reduction in income tax for small and medium-sized incomes is not fixed, said the CDU boss to the “Bild am Sonntag”, nor the minimum lighter increase from 2026 to 15 euros. The latter in particular is a heart topic of the SPD, was a central promise of the Social Democrats in the election campaign.

But, Merz now quite unsentimental: I have not agreed to do so that there will be no legal regulation. Aha? In the SPD you are irritated and wonder what Merz wants to do with his announcements.

Anke Rehlinger, the Prime Minister of Saarland, told that star Slightly acidified: “It is okay that Mr. Merz is not very important, but the higher minimum wage will come.” Tim Klüssendorf, spokesman for the parliamentary left in the SPD parliamentary group, also warns im star: “To be openly questioned the coalition agreement in the central points for us, such as the increase in the minimum wage, just a few days after the publication, does not help at this point with the urgently needed building of trust.”

Already on Thursday, party and parliamentary group leader Lars Klingbeil had unambiguously clarified: In 2026, the minimum wage “will increase to the 15 euros that we want”. So Merz is already shaking on the black and red coalition agreement, just a few days after his solemn presentation?

There, the Union and SPD had agreed on a kind of formula compromise. As a result, the minimum wage commission should continue to determine the number of wages, a political definition – as already considered in 2021 and this time from the SPD. However, the Commission will “orientate itself to both the tariff development and 60 percent of the gross wage of full -time employees as part of an overall assessment,” it says. In this way, a minimum wage of 15 euros can be reached in 2026.

What exactly is meant by this is a matter of interpretation. Corresponding gray areas had repeatedly caused a dispute in the traffic light coalition. The matter with the minimum wage shows before the government starts that this principle could also repeat itself in the GroKo. SPD man Klüssendorf is also reminiscent of the times believed. “We are well advised not to repeat the traffic lights’ mistakes,” he says, instead, you have to deal reliably and clarify conflicts internally.

SPD Minister President Anke Rehlinger warns in the coalition agreement. “The minimum wage will increase to 15 euros if the minimum wage commission follows the given standards.” This should be in 60 percent of the median wage that this is already 15 euros, says Rehlinger and underlines that the Social Democrats will insist on the minimum lighter increase. “There should be no new legal correction, but all pages of the minimum wage commission are certainly interested in adhering to the relevant requirements and the SPD-led Ministry of Labor and the unions will also pay attention to this.”

In fact, both sides could be right, but according to the state of things, one just a little more than the other.

Merz is correct with the statement that there is no “statutory automatism” – the minimum lighter increase is in the hands of the Commission. The invoice from SPD boss Klingbeil is also expected to work. The 15-euro threshold is reached, according to a calculation of the union-related Hans Böckler Institute in March, if a value of 60 percent of the middle wages of a full-time employee is implemented. If the data of the Federal Statistical Office has been continued, resulting in a minimum wage of EUR 14.88 to EUR 15.02 in 2026 and 15.31 euros to EUR 15.48 in 2027.

But: this is not currently guaranteed. It is even completely open what an “orientation” on a target of 60 percent means, as the coalition agreement states. Obviously, this is not a rigid lower limit, but a brand that should have an eye on the Commission.

And so Fast Chancellor Merz answers the “Bild am Sonntag” quite without obligation to the question of whether the minimum wage could also be lower than 15 euros: “He may go in this direction.” Possibly in this direction – this is not a clear confession.

This is likely to cause discussions in particular in the SPD, the black and red coalition agreement still has to be approved by the party members. The vote begins on Tuesday, the result should be announced on April 30th. “In view of the upcoming vote, the SPD members have the right to know whether they can rely on the appointments from the contract,” says the SPD-Linke Klüssendorf and calls for a clarification of Merz. “Here you need clarity urgently and quickly”.

For the CDU, the Federal Committee is expected to approve the contract on April 28, the CSU board has already agreed. Most recently, many SPD base members with Merz had struggled as the future chancellor and made it clear that their consent will have a prize (). Merz ‘minimum wage announcement should not have been a confidence-building measure.

A short breather, as Merz has taken on it, should now be more difficult.