Booing during pension speech Merz is booed mercilessly during his appearance

At the DGB Congress, Merz appeals to trade unionists to play a constructive role in the reform agenda. "None of this is malice," he says. The reaction is clear.

DPA

12.05.2026, 12:54

12.05.2026, 13:16

dpa

At the national congress of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz campaigned for far-reaching social reforms and received whistles and boos in return. With his appeal to see the reform process as an opportunity rather than a threat and to participate in it, the CDU leader hardly got through to the 400 or so DGB delegates. "We can't just carry on as we have for the last 20 years," he called out to them. The place from which to shape the country for the better "is not the brakes".

"So Germany needs to get its act together"

Merz was the first CDU chancellor in eight years to speak at a DGB federal congress. The last time Angela Merkel was a guest at the umbrella organization of the trade unions was in 2018, where she had also been booed for the pension at 67 in previous years.

Merz had caused displeasure among the trade unions in recent months with comments on the statutory pension as "basic security" or a lack of work ethic ("lifestyle and four-day week"). In his half-hour speech to trade unionists, he once again emphasized the urgency of reforms in order to secure prosperity in Germany. "We have simply failed to modernize our country," he emphasized. "Germany must therefore get its act together."

Pension reform the "hardest plank"

When Merz described the austerity measures already adopted by the federal government for statutory health insurance, there were the first whistles, boos and heckling.

He described the upcoming pension reform in the summer as the "hardest plank" of the federal government. "None of this is malice on my part or on the part of the federal government," he emphasized. "It's demographics and mathematics. It is quite simply beyond the strength of two contributors if they are to finance one person's pension in the future." Here too, Merz was interrupted by boos and even laughter.

Merz had caused a stir in April with his statement that statutory pension insurance would in future be "at best the basic protection" alongside private and company pensions in old age, causing outrage not only among the trade unions, but also frightening off his coalition partner, the SPD.

Rejection of pension cuts reaffirmed

Merz did not address the wording in his speech, but reiterated that no pension cuts were planned. "Nobody in this country is proposing cuts to the statutory pension. Incidentally, they would not even be permissible."

The Chancellor appealed to trade unionists to participate in the reforms. "We need this joint search for ways to move our country forward," he said. "We must succeed in finding the best common path, especially today."

DGB leader Fahimi opposes this

DGB leader Yasmin Fahimi pointed out to Merz the perception of many employees that behind the reforms at the end of the day would be cuts and reductions, "which in our view would mean a one-sided burden and a reduction in protective rights".

Many in the trade unions are experiencing that the social partnership, which is fundamental to economic relations in Germany, "is no longer working properly and we are increasingly being driven into conflict", said Fahimi.

With regard to the pension reform, she countered Merz by saying that a promise had already been made to secure pension provision including the private and company pillars of old-age provision. "The target has still not been met," said Fahimi. "We have already paid for this by raising the retirement age, abolishing partial retirement and lowering the pension level."

"Not back to the times before 1918"

The head of the DGB expressly warned against a planned change to the Working Hours Act. "We don't want to be thrown back to the times before 1918." Back then, the eight-hour working day was introduced. It is not a question of "having a rigid eight-hour day in companies", but rather that what is needed and desired in terms of flexibility "must be regulated in a binding manner in a mutual balancing of interests between company interests and employee interests".

Labor Minister and SPD leader Bärbel Bas is also expected at the DGB Congress today. In the evening, the two will then meet with the other leaders of the CDU/CSU and SPD in the coalition committee. The meeting will discuss the further roadmap for the reforms, the budget discussions and relief for the massive rise in energy costs in the wake of the Iran war.