CDU Secretary General Franziska Hoppermann ruled out the possibility that Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) will soon initiate a vote of confidence to push through reforms. “I don’t see that as an option right now,” she told Focus magazine, adding that even in November, when the coalition must approve the budget and pension reform, such a move is unlikely.
Recently, Hamburg CDU state chairman Dennis Thering had floated the idea of a confidence vote. Hoppermann responded by stating, “That was an exaggerated phrasing to indicate that we now need to move forward together on the reforms.”
Furthermore, the CDU Secretary General called on Labor Minister Bärbel Bas (SPD) to accelerate the drafting of the pension reform. She noted that necessary reforms, particularly in social security, were dragging on. Although the results from the Pension Commission have been available since early summer, the draft legislation is still missing, Hoppermann said to Focus. She stressed the need for concrete legislative proposals. “I would like to see more speed here so that we can pass resolutions based on specific suggestions,” she stated. Hoppermann concluded by noting that the coalition must reach decisions, adding that “this uncertainty is placing a significant burden on everyone in both the Union and the SPD.”
