Sahra Wagenknecht, chairwoman of the BSW party, has accused Chancellor Friedrich Merz of contributing to rising unemployment through what she describes as a “policy of broken election promises.
Speaking to Welt newspaper, Wagenknecht stated that over three million unemployed individuals represent a “miserable report card” for the Chancellor. She contends that the current governing coalition, comprised of the CDU and CSU, is continuing the economic downturn previously experienced under the preceding “traffic light” coalition. “Germany is deeply stuck in a ‘Merzession'” Wagenknecht asserted.
The automotive industry alone, she claims, has shed over 50,000 jobs within a year. Wagenknecht characterized the rising unemployment figures as indicative of a worsening deindustrialization, attributing this primarily to political factors. She advocates for significantly lower energy prices, arguing that recent price increases are not accidental, but a consequence of what she describes as a self-destructive, ideologically driven sanctions and energy policy that benefits neither peace nor the climate.
Wagenknecht criticized the current federal government for failing to address these issues. She pointed to pre-election promises by the CDU and CSU to abolish the planned ban on internal combustion engine vehicles, stating that a “policy of broken election promises” will not be sufficient to restore Germany’s economic standing.
