Overview

• Merz said an agreement on changes to the Bürgergeld is very near, with decisions expected in October.
• He set next autumn as the deadline for a commission to present pension reform proposals and reiterated support for retirement at 67 with longer working lives.
• The chancellor signaled the new voluntary service model may not remain purely voluntary and floated a general Pflichtjahr, which would require a constitutional change.
• On recent drone disruptions, he said authorities suspect Russian involvement, reported no incidents with armed drones, and called for stronger NATO deterrence and more Bundeswehr personnel.
• He became visibly emotional discussing Jewish history and said he finds it difficult to speak about the suffering of children.