(de-news.net) – According to CDU Secretary General Carsten Linnemann, the governing coalition spanning the center-left and center-right should move decisively to implement a comprehensive reform program, as the scale and depth of Germany’s current economic challenges require a broad and coordinated political response. In his assessment, restoring economic growth and international competitiveness will demand a renewed national effort, one that recalls earlier periods of transformation while remaining distinct from the postwar economic reconstruction in both context and scope.
Linnemann argued that the reforms now required would exceed the reach of earlier initiatives such as Agenda 2010, given that they must simultaneously address structural weaknesses across several policy domains. These include the long-term sustainability of social insurance systems, rigidities in labor market arrangements, persistently high labor and energy costs, and the cumulative burden of bureaucracy. While he criticized what he characterized as a tendency in recent years to downplay or obscure structural problems, he welcomed the federal government’s acknowledgment that a coherent and clearly articulated reform agenda is necessary.
From a policy perspective, Linnemann emphasized the need to reduce the electricity tax for all households and supported advancing the planned corporate tax reform from 2028 to 2026 in order to provide earlier relief to businesses. He described the failure to implement an electricity tax reduction at an earlier stage as a significant mistake that now requires prompt correction. In addition, he expressed support for the swift abolition of the obligation for companies to issue receipts, viewing it as an unnecessary administrative burden.
Finally, Linnemann stressed that additional work must once again translate into tangible improvements in living standards, underscoring the importance of stronger incentives for longer working lives. Against this background, he rejected categorical limitations in the debate on extended employment and signaled openness to policies that would lengthen working lifetimes as part of a broader reform effort.
