Comments on pension row: Merz loses feeling for his party

In the pension dispute, the Chancellor has offended some of his party. But the debate was not alone: ​​a series of events showed that Merz had lost feeling for his party.

Friedrich Merz insulted his most loyal fans at the weekend. The chancellor accused Junge Union representatives, who celebrated him in previous years, of undercutting pension funds. Understanding the concerns of younger generations looks different.

Merz’s appearance at Junge Union is part of a series of events that show that the CDU leader has lost feeling for his party. With a huge debt package, he has provided a lot of support to his own supporters. Young people – and not only them – are also looking at this critically with regard to intergenerational equality.

Merz doesn’t seem to take these concerns seriously

Merz still doesn’t seem to understand how much the failed election of constitutional justices disappointed many Union supporters – because of candidate Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf’s controversial position on the human dignity of unborn life. Instead, Merz complained to Junge Union that the government’s investment package received no attention due to confusion surrounding the selection of constitutional judges. At the beginning of August there was a single decision to stop arms deliveries to Israel, which caused irritation within his own party and even more so in the CSU.

And now the debate about retirement. That’s not to say Merz is letting this debate slide; he did not appear to take concerns from within his own ranks seriously. But wasn’t he the one who complained for years about the inability of German politics to reform? And now he has adopted the SPD’s interpretation of the coalition agreement on the pension package, making it almost impossible to reach a compromise.

Without Lose face nothing comes out anymore

Merz has driven himself and the black-red coalition into a dead end. No one can get out of a conflict over retirement without losing face. A text accompanying a retirement package alone will not solve the problem. Because hopes for major reforms, which Merz associated with the pension commission’s plans, will hardly be met with the SPD.

It could be that Merz ultimately has to turn the retirement package into some kind of vote of no confidence to get a majority. But it’s clear: his reputation has suffered as a result of this debate. Especially with your own people.