Merz campaigns in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern for the coalition's reform agenda

Merz pointed to the significance of the upcoming elections in Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: "Die drei Landtagswahlen in Sachsen-Anhalt, Berlin und Mecklenburg-Vorpommern im September Bedeutung weit über diese Länder hinaus haben werden." He thus framed the votes as a nationwide directional decision and simultaneously warned against the strengthening of the political extremes.

Eastern Germany as a Business Location

In terms of content, Merz painted a picture of the situation in eastern Germany that was both admonishing and confident. The East has long since ceased to be the country's catch-up economic region, he said. At the same time, he praised the high level of dynamism in business and science: "In relativ kurzer Zeit sind in dieser Region Technologie- und Forschungsstandorte entstanden, die jetzt schon Innovationstreiber für ganz Deutschland sind."

For investments, the retention of young people, and the establishment of excellent research on the Baltic Sea, cosmopolitanism is necessary, Merz continued: "Dafür braucht es aber eben Weltoffenheit und nicht Abschottung." This formulation was clearly directed against the isolationist rhetoric of the AfD, which, according to the latest polls, leads the CDU by a significant margin in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Nationwide, an Insa survey commissioned by Bild puts the AfD at 29 percent, eight points ahead of the Union.

Reform Package Before the Summer Break

Merz linked his assessment of eastern Germany with a comprehensive promise of reform for all of Germany. The federal government plans to pass a major reform package on taxes, the labor market, pensions, and bureaucracy reduction before the summer break, which begins in mid-July. "Es wird keine Kürzungen von Renten geben," the Chancellor made clear in this context.

A large part of his speech was devoted to the question of the political center's capacity to shape events. "Es geht um die Frage, ob wir aus der politischen Mitte unseres Landes heraus noch die Kraft haben, noch den Willen haben und auch die Durchsetzungskraft haben, die politischen Probleme anzupacken und zu lösen, die uns heute gestellt sind," said Merz. He expressed his conviction that Germany could "ganz anders aussehen" in a very short time.

The Chancellor also made the case for optimism on economic policy. Last year saw more than 3,500 start-up foundations in Germany—more than ever before. Germany can become a global pioneer in modern climate protection and have the most capable conventional army in Europe, Merz added. "Das ist keine Utopie. Das ist die Realität von morgen, wenn wir gemeinsam anpacken und dieses Land so reformieren, dass wir wieder Chancen haben, vorne zu sein, mitzuhalten, gut zu werden."

Confidence and Change

With an allusion to the most famous sentence of his predecessor, Merz sought to generate confidence. "Wir können das schaffen, wenn wir alle zusammenstehen und wenn wir wieder ein bisschen mehr an uns selbst auch glauben," he said—a conscious reminiscence of the phrase "Wir schaffen das," with which the then-Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel appealed to the public in 2015 during the refugee crisis. With a view to the transformation experience of the eastern German states, he added: "Im Osten weiß man besonders gut, was es bedeutet, ein Land durch einen solchen Wandel zu führen."

On the sidelines of the party conference, Merz also reaffirmed his coalition's line on pension policy. He once again rejected expectations of cuts. With his appearance in Linstow, the CDU leader aims to achieve one thing above all, according to his own statement: looking forward—to the elections in September and to the reforms that are to be finalized before the summer break.