Saarland's Prime Minister Rehlinger criticizes reforms and calls for more empathy from Merz

The SPD's Prime Minister of Saarland, Anke Rehlinger, was shocked by the election results. She interprets the AfD result as a warning signal to the entire political class. “You have to listen to what the citizens are telling you, and that also applies to the reforms mentioned.” Their verdict is particularly harsh: “What the Union and the SPD have presented so far is not perceived by people as a ‘reform’, but as a ‘list of proposals for cuts’.”

This means that Anke Rehlinger at Miosga stands in clear contrast to Karin Prien. While the CDU minister is drawing the opposite conclusion from the AfD's success, Rehlinger is initially calling for more careful listening. One warns against moving away from the reform course because of the election results, while the other wants to fundamentally rethink the current course.

“Team pain must become team confidence”

As the program continues, Blome takes up Merz's unusually personal statement after the AfD election success. The Chancellor had admitted that many citizens did not follow him politically and described this as his “debt”. For Blome, this is an honest finding. According to RTL's head of politics, Merz knows "that his personal poll numbers have been stuck at a lowest level for months, almost a year." “De facto, he hangs around his party’s neck, and therefore a bit of the government’s, like a piece of lead.”

Does Friedrich Merz show too little empathy? Miosga wants to know. Many people had the impression that the Chancellor and the Union had not shown the necessary empathy, said Karin Prien (CDU). That has to change. Rehlinger praises Merz's self-criticism, but warns against leaving it at that. Before the election, the Chancellor raised expectations that were difficult to fulfill. The coalition therefore not only needs better rhetoric, but also better reforms. “Team pain must become team confidence,” she says.

Will Friedrich Merz remain Chancellor? RTL political director Nikolaus Blome is not sure. “A minority government,” he warns, would soon become “hostage to the AfD.” What's more important to him is how much political leeway the SPD still gives the Chancellor.

“Lack of respect for life’s achievements”

Doubts are being raised about one of the government's most important plans, says Miosga, namely the pension reform, which was presented very unitedly and proudly before the summer break. Mr. Blome, what happens if the federal government fundamentally reopens the reform package? “Then the government will be over because that’s the only thing the Chancellor has left.” Ms. Rehlinger, could it be that the AfD wins a state election and just three days later your party questions this reform?

Rehlinger defends her criticism of the pension reform. In the broadcast she takes out a piece of paper and refers to the coalition agreement – ​​“I brought it with me” – which continues to provide for a pension without deductions after 45 years of contributions. Rehlinger expressly wants the SPD to raise this point again. She speaks of a “lack of respect for life’s achievements” and says that she is particularly frequently asked about this topic by citizens. She doesn't want to stop the entire reform - but in her view this point is a "mistake" that creates a "massive justice gap". On the other hand, Prien warns against “fundamentally undoing this compromise again now”.