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German coalition unruliness threatens Merz's reform agenda
The coalition's slim majority and internal distrust threaten pensions and military reforms amid rising far-right support, with Chancellor Merz's approval rating down by 12-15 points since June.
- On October 20, 2025, Chancellor Friedrich Merz is struggling to push through two key policy proposals on pensions and military service as CDU leaders met at their Berlin headquarters amid coalition tensions.
- Five months ago, Merz's conservatives and the Social Democrats formed a 'marriage of convenience' after a fractious collapse, but analysts say distrust and inexperience complicate governance.
- Lawmakers from the conservatives' youth faction warned last week they would withhold support for the pension bill, and Defence Minister Boris Pistorius rejected a `lazy compromise`, canceling a joint news conference.
- Merz's approval ratings have fallen by roughly 12–15 points to around 27%, while support for the Alternative for Germany has surged amid an economy facing its third year of contraction.
- Following multiple collapses of French governments in the past year, analysts warn political paralysis and far-right gains threaten Europe’s top economies despite a historic spending package.
7 Articles
7 Articles
German Governing Coalition's Internal Divisions Threaten Reform Agenda
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is facing challenges in implementing key policies on pensions and military service, raising concerns about political instability in Germany. Merz’s conservative party and the center-left Social Democrats formed a coalition five months ago to ensure stability after a previous coalition’s collapse. However, this new coalition has a slim parliamentary majority and […] The post German Governing Coalition’s Internal D…
German coalition unruliness threatens Merz's reform agenda
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is struggling to push through two key policy proposals on pensions and military service, in a setback fuelling concerns that some of the political instability seen in France could soon echo in Europe's largest economy.
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