But what’s more significant for Germany’s coalition is the way Schwesig has at least in part attained her popularity: by railing against Merz’s reform drive, depicting the overhauls as harsh and unjust.
“Yes, we need social reforms, the welfare state must be stabilized, and labor costs must not rise,” she told Welt TV on Monday. “But it is unacceptable that, of all people, those who work the hardest and contribute the most are the ones bearing the heaviest burden. Many people also perceive this as unfair. And that is why it is important to change course here.”
Should the SPD congeal around Schwesig and her criticisms, it’s likely to further complicate Merz’s ability to govern and pass legislation that satisfies his increasingly restive conservative faction.
‘Unwavering determination’
Already, disagreements between the SPD and Merz’s conservatives are spilling into the open.
SPD politicians are questioning the coalition’s previously agreed plan to make it harder for workers to take sick days, a measure that sparked public outrage and, for many, reinforced Merz’s image as lacking empathy with regular people. SPD politicians have also called for renewed state subsidies to lower fuel prices — a proposal Merz’s CDU rejects as too expensive.
“Clearly, when it comes to specific measures, there are certainly issues we need to address this fall,” Tim Klüssendorf, the SPD’s general secretary, said of the reforms on German television this week. “Take, for example, pensions, long-term care, and health care, but also the question of whether we’re finally going to do something about these gas prices, including through regulatory measures. These are certainly the measures that must now be put on the table as a direct consequence of the election results.”