Overview
- Opening the Bundestag’s autumn debate, the chancellor said Germany must be able to defend itself and tied national security to economic modernization.
- He ruled out any settlement that compromises Ukraine’s sovereignty and pointed to recent Russian drone incursions into Poland as evidence of ongoing risk.
- Merz pledged an “autumn of reforms” that revisits the welfare state and pensions while accelerating defense spending and civil protection upgrades.
- Political pressure is intensifying as a new YouGov survey puts AfD first at 27%, and party co-leader Alice Weidel derided the promised reforms as empty words.
- Fiscal constraints and large investment plans loom in the background, with loosened debt rules funding defense and a €500bn infrastructure program as Europe discusses a potential reassurance force for Ukraine without a cease-fire.