Markus Söder, the chairman of the CSU, says he wants the black‑red coalition’s reforms to be approved faster than originally planned and to have key decisions finalized by Pentecost. He told “Stern” that the situation is “as serious as ever” adding that the war in the Middle East and changes in the global economy force them to act with urgency.
The coalition had initially aimed to finish by the parliamentary summer break. Söder deemed that too slow and insisted that everything should occur between Easter and Pentecost. “Everyone needs to come out of their ideological ivory towers” he said. “There are no more excuses”.
Söder referred to the roughly eight weeks until Pentecost as “crunch time” and argued that they should shift focus from side issues such as a sugar tax or social‑media bans to the ultimate question: boosting competitiveness. He emphasized that only a thriving economy can keep the country stable.
He called for a comprehensive plan covering tax and fee reforms, addressing high energy costs, increasing labor flexibility up to high technology, and reducing bureaucracy. In his view, a new “Agenda 2010 Reloaded” with the right balance is required.