Amid falling approval ratings, Merz called on Germans to support the reforms
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on citizens to support further reforms amid his government's declining popularity. At the same time, the politician noted that he cannot force people to be satisfied with the situation in the country.
Speaking on RTL on Thursday, Merz tried to give people hope that the German economy would improve.
“As chancellor, I can’t simply order people to be in good spirits. But I can say that there are reasons for confidence and optimism,” Merz said.
According to him, the first signs indicate that the German economy is once again moving in the right direction.
Merz also acknowledged that governing in a coalition requires compromises, and that progress has been slower than he expected.
When asked about his low approval ratings compared to his SPD predecessor, Olaf Scholz, Merz pointed to the collapse of Scholz’s three-party coalition.
“Olaf Scholz’s government was no longer following him, and that government collapsed,” Merz said.
He added that he aims to prove that his own government is capable of performing better.
“I am trying to maintain the unity of my government so that together we can achieve what is best for this country,” the German chancellor said.
This was reported by the DPA news agency.
Merz also decided to bypass Poland during his visit to Ukraine.
Prior to this, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian delegation departed for the G7 summit in France from the airport in Chisinau, rather than from Rzeszów, Poland.
Poland is demanding that Germany pay 10,000 zlotys per year for each victim of Nazism.
