Chancellor Merz confirms his reform course, unions protest and DOSB decides on the Olympic bid

Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) is sticking to his reform course: Among other things, the federal government wants to fundamentally restructure pensions, health and care and reform the tax system. After the elections in Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin, calls for more speed within the black-red coalition are becoming louder. At the same time, the German Trade Union Confederation is calling for rallies in 15 major cities against the federal government's social policy course. Under the motto »Hard earned! Your work. Your health. Your pension.« the unions want to demonstrate against social cuts and cuts in employee rights. What will happen next with the federal government's major reform projects? And is the unions' criticism of the plans justified? This is explained by Mark Schieritz, deputy head of the politics department at ZEIT.

The German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) decides which applicant Germany wants to enter the race for the 2036, 2040 or 2044 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. The options are Munich and the Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr region. Berlin withdrew its application shortly before the vote. When evaluating the concepts, Munich is just ahead of Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr. However, it remains to be seen whether this lead will also prevail in the vote in Baden-Baden. But even the winner is far from certain of the games: the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ultimately decides on the venue. How do the two German applications differ? And how promising is a German bid for the Olympics? This is what ZEIT editor Christof Siemes classifies in the podcast.

And otherwise? The best roller coaster in the world rolls in Saxony

Moderation and production: Hanna Heim

Editor: Imre Balzer

Collaboration: Konstantin Hadži-Vuković and Susanne Hehr

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