German SPD chief defends black‑red reform package as critics demand deeper changes

SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch sent a letter to SPD Bundestag members defending the black‑red coalition’s reform programme. He highlighted the €18 billion savings planned for the statutory health insurance system and listed recent achievements such as the re‑introduction of compulsory military service, a “building‑turbo” to expand affordable housing, the Tariff‑Reliability Act, an e‑car scheme with a social component, and the outcomes of the Social‑State and Pension Commissions. Miersch warned that dismantling individual parts of the package would destabilise the whole reform effort and urged solidarity within the coalition.

Saxony’s Minister‑President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) criticised the same reform package, calling it only “first steps in the right direction” and insufficient to reverse Germany’s economic slowdown. He urged the government to adopt more substantial measures on energy, climate policy and fiscal competitiveness, arguing that deeper reforms are needed to restore Germany’s export strength and overall economic health.