German industry welcomes the immediate program announced by the coalition to strengthen the economy and urges him to hurry. “It is good and important that the federal government wants to get specific projects for the economy before the summer break,” said Tanja Gönner, the general manager of the Federal Association of German Industry (BDI). Before the summer break, companies would need a clear departure signal and planning security for investments. “Now it is important to implement the announced specific and quickly,” said Gönner.
As examples, she cited improved depreciation rules, a lower corporation tax and a lowering of energy costs. The supply chain law must be quickly exposed and over new European guidelines. What growth strength is belonging to the priority list for the government and parliament, Gönner warned.
“The results make hope. But many medium -sized companies have long been the water up to the neck,” said the federal manager of the Mittelstandsverband BVMW, Christoph Ahlhaus, the newspapers of the Funke media group. He also warned in a hurry: “The world and the competition are not waiting for us.”
Criticism of the coalition’s plans came from the economy Veronika Grimm. “Various measures are extremely questionable, such as the reduction of the sales tax rate in the catering trade, the agrardiesel subsidy and the mother’s pension,” the economist told the newspapers of the Funke media group. “These are costly measures at a time when we actually cannot afford such election gifts.”
First resolutions planned before the summer break
In the first three weeks of the coalition, the focus was on foreign policy, and important domestic switch positions followed on Wednesday. The Federal Cabinet launched the first draft laws to tighten migration policy, the extension of the rental price brake and a faster network expansion. In the afternoon, the coalition committee decided a four -page “immediate program” with a list of priorities. However, there are no more detailed implementation dates in the four-page list.
However, the coalitioners made it clear that they wanted to make pace to quickly improve the mood in the country. Merz hopes that the Bundestag and the Federal Council will decide some tax relief for companies before the summer break. “We ignite the turbo, so to speak,” said Merz in the ARD “daily topics”. Other measures such as lowering VAT for the catering trade should be effective on January 1, 2026, including the reduction in electricity tax. At this point, Merz said that this could “possibly even happen earlier”.
Coalition of the “possible maker”
“It is now a stroke” and “The first year is one of the most important,” Merz made clear at the press conference after the coalition tip meeting, which had not even taken three hours. SPD boss and finance minister Lars Klingbeil also emphasized that it was necessary that “pace really comes in” so that the citizens felt that something quickly changed in the country. “We want to be a coalition of the possible makers,” emphasized Klingbeil.
CSU boss Markus Söder warned “Tempo, Tempo, Temp” and spoke of a “tough work program”. Federal Minister of Economics Katherina Reiche also pushed to a hurry. “Decide quickly, act courageously, implement it quickly – we can organize growth and upswing in Germany again,” said the CDU politician.
Resistance from the countries?
Fears that federal states could be transferred to coalition projects, Merz met with two clues. The coalition agreement was also decided by representatives from the federal states. And the federal states should also benefit from the gigantic special fund with 100 billion euros. Söder, also Bavarian Prime Minister, called it “incredible” what the federal government is doing here. Söder emphasized that a federal government has never agreed to help countries. He also referred to the loosening of the debt brake for the countries.
A premiere and a farewell
For Merz it was the first coalition committee, but for the SPD-Co-boss Saskia Esken the last, as she said. Esken no longer competes at the SPD party conference at the end of June. The new Minister of Labor Bärbel Bas is running for the co-chair on the side of Klingbeil. If she is elected SPD boss, she will in future be sitting in the body of the coalition tips otherwise only with men.
Merz presented Esken a bouquet of flowers and thanked her “very warmly” for the collaboration, as he said on ZDF. This is not always easy, but in a human very good atmosphere.