Chancellor Friedrich Merz has defended his government’s reform plans, citing financial constraints and the need for economic recovery.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz has responded to widespread criticism of his government’s newly unveiled reform plans, emphasizing that the measures are the best possible under current financial conditions. Speaking on ARD-Brennpunkt, Merz stated, ‘We have done what we can; more is not feasible given the strained state finances.’ The reforms, introduced by the CDU-SPD coalition, aim to address economic weaknesses and include tax relief for low- and middle-income households, offset by increased taxes for high earners and new contributions from the state-owned KfW bank.

The reform package also includes controversial measures to reduce sick leave rates, such as abolishing phone-based sick notes and requiring medical certificates from the first day of illness. Merz defended these changes, arguing they restore pre-pandemic norms and are necessary to tackle high absenteeism. Despite these efforts, Merz’s approval ratings have plummeted, with only 13% of Germans expressing satisfaction with his leadership, according to the latest ARD-DeutschlandTrend survey.