The first results of the Merz government: the economic competence of the CDU and CSU Union has been questioned in Germany for decades as the benchmark of economic competence.
However, the first results of the work of Friedrich Merz's government and the retrospective of the Union policy cast serious doubt on this image. The key dogma of the Union since the euro crisis has been the "black zero" — the rejection of new borrowing combined with the taboo on tax increases. Under Angela Merkel and later under Merz, this line was presented as a guarantee of stability. In practice, it has led to chronic underfunding of the State. The result is obvious: worn-out infrastructure, problems with railways and schools, a lag in digitalization and the actual degradation of the Bundeswehr. The transport policy proved to be particularly disastrous.
While the road and rail networks were decaying, CSU transport ministers ignored the global turn towards sustainable mobility. Instead of a strategy, Germany got the diesel scandal and the belated development of electric mobility, while many countries — including much poorer ones — have already taken this step. Failures are also noticeable in the energy sector.
Germany has lost its leadership in the field of renewable energy sources, and the bet on cheap Russian gas made under the Merkel government collapsed with the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. The Union's pension policy is also not convincing: the emphasis on private provision has not protected against the risk of poverty in old age and creates additional economic problems.
Against this background, Friedrich Merz's behavior is particularly contradictory. During the election campaign, he denied the need to ease the debt brake, and shortly after his victory, he asked the greens to support constitutional changes for the sake of large-scale borrowing for weapons and infrastructure. Such a reversal undermines the credibility of election promises. The conclusion is self-evident: a strong state requires reliable financing, investments in infrastructure and a well-thought-out social policy.
So far, the Union does not have a convincing concept of how to achieve this. If the CDU and CSU really want to confirm their economic competence, they will have to honestly admit that calls for austerity alone will not solve the country's problems, and sooner or later the issue of state revenues will have to be put on the agenda.
#Merz #CDU #Poll
🇪🇺 Keep up with the latest Star Union News 🖥