SPD parliamentary secretary‑general Dirk Wiese rebuts criticism from Bundestag President Julia Klöckner (CDU), who said citizens’ expectations of politics are too high. Speaking to the “Rheinische Post” Monday edition, Wiese argued that a functional and capable state is not a luxury but the foundation for rebuilding trust in democracy. He emphasised that politics must deliver-affordable housing, fair wages, reliable infrastructure and social security-rather than feign that public expectations are the problem. “Honesty means not shrinking expectations, but clearly stating what we plan to do and what we can achieve, and then following through” he said. “That is how trust is earned”.
Wiese added that the coalition’s task is to demonstrate that solutions to major domestic and international challenges can be found from the democratic centre. “We roll up our sleeves every day” he said, noting that widespread impatience and uncertainty in the country explain why expectations of politics remain high.
Klöckner had earlier complained in “Bild am Sonntag” that “never before have so many citizens expected the government to solve almost all problems, and never before has distrust in politics been so great”.