In a pre-election speech, CDU leader Friedrich Merz sharply criticized the term of office of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD). Merz described Scholz and Economy Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) as “two business managers who have driven the company to the wall” stating that they now want to explain how they can “sanitize the company” as its owners.
Merz further criticized that not enough had been implemented from the announced “Zeitenwende” (times of change). “There have been times without change” said the chancellor candidate, adding that the only thing left was the “special assets” for the German military. The government still owed the two-per-cent target.
The labor market, Merz said, was a “complete disaster” at the end of the legislative period, with “lost years.” There were numerous departures of investments. The government was not doing enough to counter the shrinking of the economy. Merz praised the “Agenda 2010” under Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD) around 20 years ago.
Merz rejected the criticism of his solo actions within the European Union, such as his demands for permanent border controls. “There has never been so much criticism and so much contempt in Brussels for a federal government” he said. He called the accusation of opening up to the AfD a “poppycock.