Knowledge-based would be wonderful

One joke after another: Friedrich Merz at the carnival reception in the Federal Chancellery in February

Wherever it is important to prepare the population for victims, the big “we” is often invoked. Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) appeals to each and every one of us: “Now is the time when we have to roll up our sleeves and make a concerted effort. And when I say 'we' and 'together', then it's not just politics, it's also you." The Chancellor presented this to the employers' association Gesamtmetall in December, where he emphasized that "the ability to shape global politics" is in an "inseparable connection" with economic competitiveness. "When, if not now, and who, if not us, the Germans and the Europeans, should seize this opportunity - and really take it courageously - to make this European Union what we once wanted to become, namely this knowledge-based and most competitive region in the world?"

According to Merz's calculations, more effort is needed for the Germans to shape world politics better. The Chancellor's political messages always include the call that the population could actually work a lot more - and should. In May 2025, he emphasized in his very first government statement: "We all have to be careful that we don't lose sight of work because of the work-life balance." He became even clearer in January during an appearance before the Halle-Dessau Chamber of Commerce and Industry: "Overall, the work output of our economy is not high enough," he criticized: "The prosperity of our country that we have today cannot be achieved in the future with work-life balance and a four-day week preserved – and that’s why we have to work harder.«

At the beginning of August, the commercial health insurance company found that never before have so many working people in Germany been absent due to stress as last year.

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