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BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – Chancellor Friedrich Merz has invoked Germany’s ability to reform and the chance for fundamental change by 2035. He is convinced: “Germany has the strength for reforms, Germany has the strength for a new departure,” said the CDU chairman at the CDU Economic Council in Berlin.
Merz said he believes that the country will look fundamentally different in 2035. By then, administrative procedures and permits will have been digitized, the state will no longer be perceived as an obstacle, mistrust will be replaced by trust, and energy will be affordable and reliable again.
“In short: I believe, ladies and gentlemen, that Germany in 2035 will be a country that believes in itself again, a country that is free, that has remained safe and that will maintain its prosperity for future generations,” said Merz. This is not a utopia, but achievable.
Not just “Doom and Gloom”
Merz admitted that the mood in the country was critical. “I absorb this mood, I accept it and I take it very seriously. Because I am aware that this is not about the whims of the moment, it is not about sensitivities, it is about very real problems.” The situation is serious, jobs are being lost and companies are going bankrupt every day.
But he also came to the conclusion: “Even the strongest society cannot endure doom and gloom 24/7 in the long term without falling apart in the end. And – despite all the justified criticism that I receive and accept – there is no reason for that.”
Portuguese Prime Minister with a success story
Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro had previously described his country’s economic recovery. The budget deficit has been reversed and the export share of the economy has been greatly expanded. 75 percent of electricity now comes from safe and reliable renewable energies. He invited Germany to see Portugal as a strategic partner. “This is the moment to upgrade our relations,” said the head of government./vsr/DP/he
