Looking ahead, Merz called pension reform the “toughest nut to crack.” “None of this is malice on my part or on the part of the federal government,” he insisted. “It is demography and mathematics.” That line drew another wave of boos and whistles from the audience.
The hostile reception comes as Merz’s popularity continues to crater. According to the latest monthly DeutschlandTrend survey published on May 7, just 13 percent of Germans say they are satisfied with the work of the coalition between Merz’s conservatives and the Social Democrats.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has meanwhile surged past Merz’s conservatives in several national polls, capitalizing on frustration over economic stagnation, soaring energy prices and unpopular reforms. The fallout from the Iran conflict and U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats has only deepened Germany’s economic troubles, forcing the government to slash its economic forecasts.
The pressure is expected to intensify ahead of key state elections in Eastern Germany in September that the AfD is projected to win.
Merz nevertheless urged unions to work with his government on reforms. “We need this joint search for ways to move our country forward,” he said.