Merz has already won backing for a €500 billion fund to upgrade Germany’s ramshackle infrastructure and removed constitutional borrowing restrictions on defense spending, paving the way for hundreds of billions more to be invested in the military.
Good
But he’s also promised to cut billions from Germany’s welfare bill and has warned voters that what he portrays as their comfortable lifestyles are going to have to change in order to meet the challenges ahead. “With a four-day week and work-life balance, we will not be able to maintain the prosperity of this country,” he said at a party meeting in May.
Oh shit
The AfD, by contrast, is telling voters that they can preserve their traditional way of life without difficult sacrifices.
Good
The party’s solution is to expel hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants and pull out of the EU, a recipe that saw the party surge close to Merz’s Christian Democrat-led alliance in recent polls.
Oh shit
Why would “paving the way for hundreds of billions more to be invested in the military” be good? And the AfD’s statements are just lies, same as Brexiteers in the UK. It’s not good.
Because it will flow in the rest of the economy that’s been ran on soft austerity for a long time. Into steelworkers, machinists, technology, etc. It’s how the US does a lot of its public investment. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than not doing any significant investment. I’d prefer a different approach if given the choice but this is likely to have some positive effects on German workers.
But then they would cut supports for workers on the other end so… 🪦
Solid response! I figured it’d be something to do with innovations or similar, but wasn’t sure. Thanks 😊 and yeah, rough that ultimately they’re supporting cuts.
But he’s also promised to cut billions from Germany’s welfare bill and has warned voters that what he portrays as their comfortable lifestyles are going to have to change in order to meet the challenges ahead. “With a four-day week and work-life balance, we will not be able to maintain the prosperity of this country,” he said at a party meeting in May.
Translation: continue to fuck the working class while Merz and the rich take more for themselves.
