The chair of the Left Party, Ines Schwerdtner, has characterized the first 100 days of the current federal government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) as a “classic false start, a fiasco”. In comments to the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung”, Schwerdtner stated that expectations, even modest ones, had not been met. She specifically criticized the lack of meaningful structural reforms regarding pensions, labor practices and care for the elderly.
Schwerdtner highlighted that despite the creation of special funds and expanded borrowing capabilities, the government possesses more financial resources than any predecessor, yet distributes them with what she considers a greater degree of inequity. She singled out defense spending as a particular concern, stating that investments are being directed toward “dead metal” rather than benefiting the broader population. She contends that relief measures for the majority are lacking, with benefits instead accruing to large corporations.
The continued popularity of the AfD party after the first three months of the governing coalition did not surprise Schwerdtner. She argues that austerity measures affecting schools and hospitals, coupled with underfunding of local authorities, an emphasis on military build-up and restrictive migration policies, are generating a predictable backlash.
Schwerdtner leveled criticism at the SPD, accusing them of lacking assertiveness within the coalition. She asserts that, mirroring a previous coalition experience, the SPD has largely yielded to the CDU’s agenda, supporting policies on issues like migration and accepting compromises in other areas to defend limited achievements. She cited the recently passed pension legislation as an example, criticizing the resulting pension level of 48 percent as inadequate.
On the international stage, Schwerdtner also criticized the Chancellor’s approach. She characterized Merz’s demeanor as self-assured, even arrogant, relative to his predecessor, but argued that this has not translated into effective diplomacy. She specifically pointed to the recent meeting between the Chancellor and US President Donald Trump as yielding no tangible results regarding tariffs, the Ukraine war, or the conflict in Gaza.