Is Chancellor Friedrich Merz marking his one-year anniversary with interviews — or because the coalition he leads (CDU/CSU and the SPD) is in crisis? Likely both. Merz’s public approval is low and, he says, there is “growing resentment” in the CDU and CSU over coalition compromises.
His chancellorship began amid turmoil: on May 6, 2025, the Bundestag failed to give him an absolute majority in the first round — the first time this has happened in the Federal Republic — and a second vote was required. The so-called grand coalition now holds only a thin majority.
Merz had promised an “autumn of reforms” after his election, targeting pensions, health, nursing care and bureaucracy. Little materialized. The government did approve a one-off “special fund for infrastructure and climate neutrality” of €500 billion to 2045 for projects like rail upgrades and bridge repairs, but broader reforms stalled.
Cabinet cooperation has been tense, especially between Finance Minister and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil (SPD) and Economy Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU). Reiche favors reversing some policies of the 2021–2024 SPD-Greens-FDP government and has signaled interest in re-examining civilian nuclear power — heightening intracoalition friction. In interviews, Merz framed the situation as a coalition in which compromises are necessary but implied the CDU/CSU shoulder more of the burden.
Shortly before the anniversary the coalition unveiled its health system reform concept; details still face months of Bundestag debate and likely change.
DW chief political editor Michaela Küfner, who has followed Merz closely, sees his halting start as mixed: while it has not made Germany more stable, it has focused attention on the need for structural reform, she says. Germany, she argues, has begun to accept that the status quo is unsustainable.
Foreign policy has been another challenge. A united German position is important amid worries about Europe, NATO and transatlantic ties, especially given the unpredictable style of US President Donald Trump. Merz traveled to the White House three times in his first year and has sought close ties with Washington. But his recent public criticism of Trump’s handling of the US–Iran conflict provoked a sharp response on Truth Social: Trump accused Merz of ignoring problems at home, announced a withdrawal of 5,000 US troops from Germany and threatened higher tariffs on car and truck imports — a blow to Germany’s automotive sector.
Merz described the fallout as “difficult” and reiterated the value he places on the transatlantic relationship. He has also campaigned across the EU to keep the union together amid uncertainty.
Küfner notes a pattern: Merz sometimes pays a high political price for blunt or clumsy remarks. The core question is whether his well-known economic expertise can be translated into effective political action. Given global tensions, Küfner warns, Germany and Europe can least afford another government breakdown.
This article was originally written in German.