Friedrich Merz's government statement: Germany as a growth engine!

Friedrich Merz's government statement: Germany as a growth engine!

Today, May 14, 2025, Friedrich Merz made his first government statement as Federal Chancellor. The speech, which lasted nearly an hour, exceeded the scheduled time by eleven minutes and raised a wide range of topics. Fr.de reports that Merz not only highlighted the geopolitical challenges in his speech, but also addressed the younger generation. The Chancellor expressed optimism about Germany's strength and the potential to become Europe's "growth engine" again.

The thematic spectrum of his message was extensive and covered areas such as geopolitics, economics, internal security, immigration, the welfare state, pensions, securing democracy, energy security and climate. Merz particularly emphatically emphasized compliance with German and European climate goals. He refers to his upcoming trips to Paris, Warsaw and Kiev as well as telephone conversations with Donald Trump to underline Germany's international negotiating leadership.

The social responsibility

Merz also made biographical references that emphasize the responsibility of his and the new generation. In this context, he expressed his wish not to overwhelm the younger generations. A central concern is affordable housing, which he identifies as one of the most pressing social issues. Here the Chancellor is energetically calling for “build, build, build” and a de-bureaucratization of the corresponding processes.

As part of his speech, he also addressed the issue of immigration and the problem of “low-skilled migration”. Merz recognized the importance of the migrants living in Germany, but failed to explicitly express his gratitude. He also praised soldiers and police officers for their service to society and placed Germany's security at the center of his argument.

Security and a free society

Another central point of the speech was the affirmation of the importance of freedom and democracy. What was striking, however, was that Merz did not mention the potential danger of disinformation. The challenges affecting the governing coalition of CDU, CSU and SPD also remained unaffected. The AfD or important social issues were not addressed, which observers see as remarkable. The response from the coalition partners was rather muted, which was reflected in the meager applause.

Particularly eye-catching was Merz's announcement that he would build Europe's largest conventional army, while at the same time outlining economic measures aimed at making Germany a "growth locomotive." This message also addressed the geopolitical situation, particularly in the context of Russia's activities. Zeit.de reports that the opposition leader and the 151-member faction were occasionally approached, but many pressing issues remained untouched.

The final note of his speech was the statement that Germany could overcome all challenges on its own, which is viewed by many as questionable. With this combination of optimistic future forecasts and an emphasis on security and social responsibility, Merz took to the stage of political responsibility.