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🇩🇪 Germany /Elections & Politics

Schwesig tells Merz: “The chancellor’s tone must change”

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire From a news agency Context piece
  • Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Premier Manuela Schwesig urged Chancellor Friedrich Merz to change his tone before the state election.
  • She said Merz’s claim that people were not working enough ignored residents who work hard and face high fuel costs, and criticized his rejection of SPD proposals.
  • Recent polling puts the SPD at 32%, behind the AfD at about 35%, while Schwesig also cited broad dissatisfaction with reforms on pensions and care.

Manuela Schwesig has a message for Friedrich Merz before Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania votes: “The chancellor’s tone must change.” The state premier and SPD lead candidate said the chancellor’s claim that people do not work enough had little to do with daily life in her state.

The chancellor’s tone must change.

· Manuela SchwesigSchwesig criticized Chancellor Friedrich Merz ahead of the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state election.

“Many work hard,” Schwesig said in an interview with ZDF. Many residents commute to work and are suffering from high fuel prices. She called the price of 2.42 “absolutely too high” and accused Merz of allowing the situation to continue for months.

Schwesig also criticized the chancellor for rejecting SPD proposals for a fuel-price cap and a windfall-tax. “He can reject a proposal, but he must make one of his own and support the working middle,” she said.

Many work hard.

· Manuela SchwesigShe rejected Merz’s claim that people were not working enough.

Her criticism comes against the backdrop of the AfD’s strong election result in Saxony-Anhalt. Schwesig will seek re-election with the SPD in about two weeks. Recent polls put the SPD on 32%, behind the AfD, which has roughly 35% support.

He can reject a proposal, but he must make one of his own and support the working middle.

· Manuela SchwesigShe criticized Merz for rejecting SPD proposals on fuel prices without offering an alternative.

On the federal coalition’s reform agenda, Schwesig said the SPD must ensure that reforms are fair. She pointed to polling showing that 81% of respondents were dissatisfied with reforms, including those concerning pensions and care, and said that result suggested “not everything can be right.”

I think it is very important that the SPD ensures reforms are genuinely fair.

· Manuela SchwesigShe described the party’s responsibility in the federal government’s reform agenda.
About this summary

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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