Appearance in front of young party members: Merz does not want the coalition to continue at any price

Bonn. Chancellor Friedrich Merz does not want to continue the coalition with the SPD at any price. “I want this coalition to be successful,” said Merz at the Junge Union’s Germany Day in Bonn. “But I do not place the success of the coalition, or to put it another way, the continued existence of the coalition, above every conceivable political achievement that we have to achieve together,” emphasized the CDU chairman. “There are limits for me too.”

The Chancellor reminded the SPD that the Union was the larger coalition partner in Berlin. “And we have to make the Union’s handwriting more visible in the coalition,” he said. He will do that too. “It must also be clear who is the larger coalition partner in this coalition and who is the smaller coalition partner.”

The Chancellor insisted that the agreements between the Union and the SPD in the coalition agreement must be adhered to together. “The coalition agreement is not the starting point for further compromises to our detriment, but rather it is the absolute minimum that we have agreed with the SPD to do, what is necessary to bring our country forward again.”

The Union wants a cabinet decision on pension reform this year, said Merz about the further timetable for the pension package. The first reading in the Bundestag should take place before the turn of the year. The final vote should follow at the beginning of next year. “This is long overdue,” emphasized the Chancellor.