The mood was great after the verdict on state finances. But there is a growing realization in the CDU that the joy may have been too exuberant. Merz is not making himself popular with his austerity proposals – and there is a threat from the federal states.
When the federal government slides into its biggest crisis to date, Friedrich Merz initially doesn’t notice it. The CDU leader has just spoken at a business conference in the Hotel Adlon. Now he is giving a television interview in a hallway. It’s about state guarantees for Siemens Energy, raw materials and the American-Chinese relationship. All important – but far removed from what is shaking the government at this moment. Because while Merz is being interviewed, the Federal Constitutional Court announces its judgment on state finances, which dismantles the traffic light coalition’s budget policy in such a way that the coalition could even disintegrate because of the consequences. Merz only finds out about this when his interview is over.