Overview

• Speaking at the Bayern-SPD party congress in Landshut, the labor minister publicly sought a clear commitment from the chancellor to keep Germany an industrial country, with no response from Merz reported.
• The appeal follows job cuts across manufacturing, with auto supplier Bosch recently announcing 13,000 additional layoffs and pressure mounting in steel and chemicals.
• Bas said protecting employment will require a broad set of policy instruments to chart a viable future for German industry.
• She warned that allowing steelmaking to leave Germany would shift production to China or Russia, increasing security risks through dependence on autocracies.
• Bas also called for tougher enforcement against benefit fraud and undeclared work while stressing help for people who rely on support.