The premier of Schleswig‑Holstein, Daniel Günther of the CDU, said he was open to discussing a possible restriction on the right to part‑time work. Speaking to “Handelsblatt” in its Tuesday edition, he noted that the situation is too serious to issue blanket prohibitions on thinking, and that people would welcome change if the overall concept was sound. “We should be much bolder” he added.
Günther also described the CDU economic wing’s push for part‑time work as merely a debate about symptoms, not about underlying causes. When asked about the proposal from Chancellor Friedrich Merz to reinstate the abolition of telephone sickness certificates, he called it “correct” and urged people to consider what prosperity is worth and whether they are ready to do more for it.
Finally, he warned the Union not to engage in a “race to impose the harshest cuts”. Instead, he called for rapid structural reforms rather than competing over the toughest measures.