German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on 24 October at the congress of the Christian Social Union in Munich that it is necessary to strengthen Germany's social stability.
"We must renew the economic, socio-political and societal foundations of our country so that they remain reliable in the decades to come. And no election results affect this. Right now this statement is truer than ever. Because our economy is under pressure," Merz said.
The Chancellor acknowledged that many people in the country are suffering from rising prices, and social security systems face enormous challenges. According to Merz, Germany must remain an industrial power, since only a manufacturing presence in the country creates sustainable and good jobs in the long term.
As priority measures to pull Germany out of the crisis, he named providing businesses with competitive energy prices, accelerating administrative procedures and reducing excessive bureaucracy. The Chancellor noted that the cabinet faces difficult tasks in the areas of pensions, healthcare and social care.
Merz noted that voters will judge the CDU/CSU bloc by its ability to see the initiated reforms through to the end. He directly addressed the Social Democratic Party of Germany, part of the ruling coalition, reminding them of the need to honour commitments made.
"What we have agreed together remains in force. And what we have agreed together must be implemented quickly now," the German head of government concluded.
A member of the Bundestag from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) faction, Markus Frohnmaier, stated on 17 October that Merz is sending billions of euros to Ukraine instead of spending them on the needs of Germans. According to him, Germany has already provided Kyiv with €100 billion in bilateral support and another €30 billion through the European Union.