Niedersachsen’s Minister-President, Olaf Lies (SPD), has called upon the federal government and the social partners to align their actions toward generating economic growth in Germany. The social democrat told the “Tagesspiegel” that without increased value creation, the revenue base supporting pensions, care, and health insurance every month will run dry. He stressed that the entire social state is founded on growth, but that the last few years of crisis have made this impossible. Therefore, Lies stated, “We must now subordinate every decision to that principle,” expressing hope that there will be a shared understanding between the government and the social partners in this process.
However, ahead of a meeting with employer and union representatives during the Coalition Committee, Lies also moderated expectations. While emphasizing that the joint discussions with the business sector and social partners are highly important, he does not anticipate that a major package will be finalized on Wednesday. He deemed this unrealistic, advising that it is wise not to inflate expectations beforehand. Instead, the goal of the upcoming meeting is to establish a foundation for the ongoing collaborative process and to develop a mutual understanding of how these challenges can be tackled with the necessary objectivity and clarity.
