The proposal to restrict the right to part‑time work to only those who are raising children, caring for relatives, or undertaking further education has struck two‑thirds of Germans the wrong way.
– 66 % of respondents view it as a mistake.
– 30 % believe it is the right direction.
These figures come from an Infratest poll of 1 319 eligible voters that ran for the ARD between Monday and Wednesday of this week.
The idea was first brought into the debate by the CDU’s economic wing.
While the proposal is largely rejected by supporters of the Left (86 %), Greens (84 %), SPD (64 %) and AfD (63 %), it has some backing among CDU/CSU members as well: 56 % of union supporters oppose it, whereas only 41 % of the four‑in‑ten who back the Union see it in the right direction.
Other policy options currently in discussion aim to raise full‑time employment in Germany or spur the economy. A notable source of support is the improvement of public care and childcare services:
– 94 % think better public offerings in care and childcare are the right move;
– 3 % think otherwise.
Additionally, 65 % support easing immigration for foreign skilled workers, a jump of nine percentage points from April 2024. Meanwhile, 27 % reject any relaxation in skilled‑worker immigration. A majority (57 %) also favor a flexion of working‑time rules: the federal government plans to change from a daily maximum hours rule to a weekly maximum, allowing longer single‑day work periods. 37 % oppose this change.
The idea of abolishing the “marital split” taxation benefit, which gives married couples a tax advantage when only one partner works or one earns significantly more, is broadly rejected. 57 % want to keep the split; 30 % see its abolition as the correct approach.
A comparable issue is the early retire‑ment provision for long‑time insured persons, often called “retirement at 63”. Two thirds (65 %) say abolishing this rule is wrong, while 27 % think it should be eliminated.
When it comes to who is best placed to drive the German economy, respondents overwhelmingly look to the Union:
– 31 % say CDU/CSU hold the competency in this area, a drop of six points from September 2025.
– 18 % point to the AfD, 9 % to the SPD, 6 % to the Greens, 5 % to the FDP, 3 % to the Left, 1 % to the BSW, and 1 % to another party.
– 26 % either say “I don’t know” or currently trust no party with the job of advancing Germany’s economy.