Overview
- At a Bäckerinnungsverband West ceremony in Dortmund, the chancellor described Germany as undergoing deep change and cautioned against pessimism.
- He outlined strains in the labor market, social security, and foreign and security policy, saying the global order is shifting fundamentally.
- He invoked the postwar rebuilding spirit and cast doubt on work-life balance and four-day week debates as fitting remedies.
- He emphasized Mittelstand and handwerk as cultural and economic pillars and highlighted the Ruhr’s development through more than a century of immigration.
- No new measures were announced, and he accepted the “Großen Stutenkerl” as BVB president Hans‑Joachim Watzke urged greater public understanding of coalition work.