Overview

• Rainer Dulger, head of Germany’s employers’ association, urges the incoming CDU-SPD coalition to pursue deeper welfare-state reforms beyond their agreed commission studies.
• He advocates for capping social contributions at 40 percent and ending early retirement at 63, arguing these measures ensure intergenerational equity and fiscal sustainability.
• Dulger proposes a universal service year for all young adults, encompassing roles in the military, public services, and healthcare sectors.
• Rejecting increased wealth taxes, Dulger claims such measures would yield minimal revenue while undermining Germany’s economic competitiveness.
• While critical of limited welfare reform plans, Dulger praises Chancellor-elect Friedrich Merz’s 100-day agenda as ambitious and solutions-focused.