Overview

• Dennis Radtke labeled Merz’s claim that the social state is no longer affordable as alarmism and warned against fear-based messaging.
• He argued the social-state share relative to GDP has held steady for decades, urging reforms “not with the chainsaw.”
• The CDA outlined housing relief such as fewer building regulations, lower real-estate transfer tax, and VAT refunds for first owner-occupied homes.
• Radtke said trust has eroded after unmet expectations like the limited electricity tax cut and warned that the AfD exploits public frustration.
• BDA president Rainer Dulger called for quick delivery of coalition measures and rejected tax hikes on the wealthy, pointing to lessons from protests in France.