SPD Rejects Proposal to Remove a Church Holiday in Light of Economic Situation
Armand Zorn, the deputy chair of the SPD parliamentary group, has rejected the proposal from the Association of Bavarian Business to remove a church holiday in light of the economic situation. According to Zorn, reducing the number of public holidays is neither necessary nor beneficial. “Public holidays are essential for rest and recovery, which strengthens the performance of employees” he said in an interview with the “Welt” newspaper.
Jörg Cezanne, a member of the Left Party’s economic and energy committee, also criticized the proposal. “With high unemployment and over one billion overtime hours in Germany last year, work is becoming more concentrated and stressful. Burnouts are common. Taking away a holiday from workers and employees is outdated politics that does not address any of our urgent problems.”
Sahra Wagenknecht, the president of the Association of Bavarian Social Democrats, also expressed her opposition to the proposal. “The Association of Bavarian Social Democrats is against the elimination of public holidays. Merz wants Germans to work harder. What a mockery. The problem is that the government is powerless and ineffective – for years. Instead of eliminating public holidays, we should eliminate the world’s highest energy prices and the bureaucratic jungle.”
Anja Piel, a member of the German Trade Union Congress, also rejected the proposal. “Eliminating public holidays will result in real wage losses for employees, reducing the money that can be spent on consumption. The restorative aspect is also important, especially in a 24/7 society.”
Only the economic policy spokesperson of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) parliamentary group, Leif-Erik Holm, expressed support for the proposal. “I would be happy if we did not introduce any additional public holidays, as some federal states have done. We can’t afford it given the current economic situation” he said. Holm believes that the government should focus on reducing tax and administrative burdens, making energy more affordable and reducing bureaucracy. This would help companies become more competitive and encourage people to stay in the country and offer more work.