Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz has acknowledged shortcomings in the conservative-Social Democrat coalition and announced that he intends to communicate his political course more clearly in future.
At the German Catholic Convention in Würzburg, the CDU leader said that while dispute is part of democracy, it has to lead to results. At present, he said, there may be too many arguments and too little being achieved.
The federal government is planning a reform package on tax, the labour market, pensions and cutting red tape before the summer recess. In recent weeks, however, there have been repeated conflicts within the conservative-Social Democrat coalition.
The chancellor also admitted to shortcomings in communication. He said he was increasingly grappling with the question of why he apparently was not succeeding sufficiently in convincing people of the federal government's course. He knew he had to improve the way he communicates so that his messages are better understood, Merz said during a panel discussion at the Catholic Convention in Würzburg at which young people in particular asked questions.
According to last week's ARD "Germany Trend" survey, only 13 percent of respondents are still satisfied with the government's work one year after it took office. The chancellor's own ratings have also fallen sharply in the first year of his term and now stand at just 16 percent.
