Government declaration: Merz demands “tremendous effort”

Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) wants to swear the people in Germany on Wednesday in his first government declaration on a “tremendous effort” in order to make the country more competitive again. On the CDU business day, on Tuesday evening he gave a foretaste of which messages will contain his 45-minute speech in the Bundestag.

“We have to work more and, above all, more efficiently in this country,” he emphasized. “With a four-day week and work-life balance, we will not be able to maintain the prosperity of this country.” He pointed out that the anchoring of the 40-hour week in the Working Hours Act was agreed in the coalition agreement with the SPD. That must now be implemented “pretty soon”.

Merz sees a lack of government experience as a “great opportunity”

Merz also called the reduction in energy prices and the reduction of bureaucracy as particularly urgent areas of government work. He described that he and his 17 Federal Minister of Minister have little government experience as “great opportunity to really change something in this country”. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) is the only cabinet member who previously belonged to a federal government.

Merz was only elected Chancellor on May 6th in the second ballot. A week after the start of the start, he will present his program for the start of government work with the SPD from 1 p.m. He should move along the coalition agreement, but probably also set some new accents. Afterwards, all ministers will present their plans by Friday.

The new government will be particularly concerned with four challenges in the start phase:

Ukraine and USA: Outdoor Chancellor Merz

Already in the first days of Merz’s chancellorship, it has been shown that, given the world situation, he will devote a large part of his work of foreign policy. He has decided to give Germany a real leadership role in Europe again.

After two days in office, he called US President Donald Trump and got on a surprisingly well with him. It was also a driving force with the first major diplomatic initiative of Europeans to terminate Ukraine War.

What will come to Kiev with the French President Emmanuel Macron, the British Prime Minister Keir and the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is still completely open. But first of all, something got in motion.

Migration: implemented the first campaign promise

Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) has already implemented a campaign promise from the Union. He has instructed the federal police to reject foreigners who want to apply for asylum in Germany in Germany. This does not affect all asylum seekers. For example, heavily pregnant women or mothers with small children should not be rejected.

In contrast, other planned reforms in migration policy and nationality law will be a long time in coming, since changes in the law are necessary. This applies, for example, to the abolition of the possibility for particularly well-integrated immigrants to become Germans as “turbo institutions” to become Germans after three years.

Finances: Household until summer

The top priority for Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil has the household 2025. The SPD politician wants to bring the plans through the cabinet at the end of June, and ideally advised before the summer break in the Bundestag. The government would be able to act even without a budget – but new projects could only be realized via detours.

Also in the drawer: a law to implement the 500 billion euros in debt for infrastructure investments. The federal states have just agreed how they want to divide their 100 billion share. However, problems are threatened in Brussels: According to experts, Germany risks a violation of the European debt rules with the historical loan package.

Less problems are likely to cause the planned reduction in electricity tax and the new depreciation rules for companies. Both are important to relieve the economy and for a better economy – and they should be one of the first measures from Klingbeil’s house.

Economy: more pragmatism sought

In the election campaign, Minister of Economics Robert Habeck was a popular target of criticism from Union series. The green one simply couldn’t, it said. Now the black-red government with its CDU minister Katherina Reiche has to show that she does it better.

However, the prerequisites are anything but rosy: the trade conflict with the USA is the economy, energy prices are high, the companies groan under bureaucratic requirements. Economists assume a stagnating or even shrinking economy for the current year.

The new Minister of Economic Affairs now wants to make a “more pragmatic” economic policy: “After climate protection emphasized in recent years, maybe even overemphasized, we have to focus more on security of supply and affordability.”