Friedrich Merz on justice: “Generosity in togetherness” is required

Economic adjustment processes are necessary to maintain prosperity, argued the Chancellor. If necessary, the state should also provide social cushioning and support. With a view to Berlin, where the Left, the Greens and the SPD are currently negotiating the formation of a coalition, he described the CDU's 1976 election campaign motto "Freedom instead of Socialism" as a central issue.

Plea for open markets

Merz described freedom as a competitive advantage. »No state can collect the necessary knowledge centrally and identify the right solutions in advance. That's why we need open markets, that's why we need entrepreneurial freedom and competition so that the best solutions can develop not centrally, but decentrally." The state must create the regulatory framework for this, for example by securing property and enforcing rules.

There is a role for the state, for example in reducing economic risks caused by dependencies on critical raw materials, said Merz. He must help to create broader sources of supply, strengthen recycling and at EU level by building up stocks. Germany, the EU and their partners are relying on free trade, contrary to “the zeitgeist of isolation”.

The Chancellor emphasized that his government was not pursuing an end to the energy transition, but rather was exposing “a long-successful industry” to greater competition. In the future, the expansion of renewable energies will be more closely oriented towards the needs of the market.