Germany needs a government that makes things work
Friedrich Merz and his government keep talking about competitiveness, reform, security, growth, and Germany’s enormous potential. I agree that Germany has huge potential, but that is exactly why I find the gap between what the country is capable of doing and what it actually manages to deliver so frustrating.
Germany’s potential is not the problem
I am becoming tired of hearing about how much potential Germany has because nobody seriously doubts that Germany is a wealthy country with strong institutions, major companies, excellent universities, highly skilled workers, and enormous influence inside Europe.
The important question is what the government actually does with those advantages.
At the cabinet retreat in Neuhardenberg in August, Friedrich Merz put competitiveness, security, and climate policy at the center of the government’s agenda. I think those are serious priorities, but simply announcing the correct priorities does not tell people when their lives will actually become easier, when investment will become more attractive, or when a public service will become more reliable.
(Federal government statement, 25 August)
It would also be unfair to pretend that every economic indicator is negative. Revised figures released by Destatis on 25 August showed that the German economy grew by 0.3% in the second quarter compared with the previous quarter. Economic growth is obviously positive and should be acknowledged.
At the same time, one quarter of modest growth does not suddenly mean that the structural problems affecting companies, workers, housing, infrastructure, investment, and public administration have disappeared.
I want to know what the plan actually is
My frustration with the Merz government is mainly about the distance between its promises and a convincing sense of direction. I want to know which specific obstacles the government intends to remove, who is responsible for removing them, when the work should be completed, and how people will be able to judge whether the policy actually worked.
Businesses need predictable conditions if they are expected to invest. People need a realistic chance of finding housing, building a career, and improving their economic situation. Public services need to respond within timeframes that allow somebody to actually plan their life.
I also think this matters politically because I do not believe the AfD can be pushed back simply by repeatedly warning voters that the party is dangerous. Its positions should obviously be challenged directly, but democratic parties also have to demonstrate that democratic government is capable of producing results.
Economic dissatisfaction does not explain every AfD voter, and no government can simply buy political trust by producing a slightly better GDP number. However, every major promise that disappears into another announcement gives opponents of the established parties another opportunity to argue that the existing political system is incapable of changing anything.
Germany needs results people can actually recognize
When I say that I want Germany to become powerful again, I am not talking about some nostalgic idea of power or Germany throwing its weight around internationally. I mean a country whose competence gives it influence.
A Germany that can build infrastructure properly, support new companies, attract investment, maintain functioning public services, protect its population, and help Europe act collectively will naturally have influence because other countries know that Germany is capable of delivering.
I would therefore like to see fewer declarations about historic turning points and more visible evidence that something has actually changed. The government should choose a manageable group of major priorities, publish deadlines, explain the trade-offs involved, admit when progress is blocked, and take responsibility for removing those obstacles.
I am not expecting Friedrich Merz to repair every German problem during a single term. I do think it is reasonable to expect that, after several years, people should be able to point at substantial things and say that they work better because the government acted.
For a country with Germany’s resources, that should not be an unreasonable standard.
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