Hesse’s Minister-President, Boris Rhein (CDU), has called for the federal government to fundamentally revamp its approach in both content and communication. He told the “Tagesspiegel” (Friday edition) that many people feel that the reform debate is devoid of common sense and empathy, with “something threatening placed on the table every day”. According to Rhein, the government must instead develop a balanced reform package within an insulated environment and subsequently present it publicly and collectively. He stressed that the government currently lacks a genuine narrative explaining the purpose of these proposed reforms, and it must be prevented that the public perceives the middle class as being weakened; the opposite is true.
Rhein demands a “reform restart” and a package designed to create momentum for growth while simultaneously guaranteeing new security for citizens. Building on remarks by CDU Chairman Friedrich Merz, Rhein highlighted a need for substantial reforms that address the labor market, the welfare state, and the taxation of both energy and companies. Specifically, he proposed establishing a “protective shield for families”. This shield would involve reversing the current cap on parental benefits, allowing young parents to purchase their first home tax-free, and making childcare services more tax-deductible.
From the CDU politician’s perspective, both the CDU and the SPD are currently undermining their own efforts. Rhein asserted that the black-red federal government has achieved considerably more than many realize, but these successes are unfortunately undermined by mediocre coordination and communication.
Following weeks of internal disputes, Rhein also warned coalition members about the necessity of greater discipline. He stressed that the current priority must be to stop criticizing each other, even when addressing his own black-red coalition in Wiesbaden. “We also discuss things with great disagreement in our state-level coalition. But externally, only the solutions we have agreed upon after intense debate should be seen” he admitted.
Despite the current negative political trend, Rhein remains confident that the situation can be turned around, preventing the emergence of a political fiasco during the autumn state elections. Although he described current polling numbers as “concerning” the Hessian head of government stated that “there will not be an AfD Minister-President in Germany” concluding that stopping the far-right party requires a highly effective election campaign.
