BERLIN: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s ability to control his unruly coalition faces a test on Friday when parliament votes on a pensions bill that stirred a revolt by younger members of his own conservative party.
Fears the revolt could lead to the bill’s defeat, endangering the survival of the coalition, appear to have eased after the opposition Left party said it would abstain. But the dispute has revived doubts about Merz’s ability to manage his party, potentially leaving him dependent on the opposition to get the package through parliament.
His broad coalition of conservatives and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) has a slender majority of 12 votes in parliament — enough theoretically to pass the legislation, which maintains current pension levels.
But the conservatives’ youth faction, which has 18 votes, says the measure perpetuates a financially unsustainable system, leaving younger generations to foot the bill. Those legislators have left it unclear which way they will vote.
The Left Party said on Wednesday it would abstain from the vote to ensure the legislation passed in order to protect pensioners from what it called “power games.” Their abstention means the measure needs fewer votes to pass.
