Overview
- The Markus Lanz panel agreed the economy is faltering and pressed for a broad, politically painful reform package to revive investment and productivity.
- Economist Moritz Schularick urged tying the retirement age to life expectancy and ending incentives for early retirement to ease pension pressures.
- Ifo’s Andreas Peichl called for an investment booster via more generous corporate tax write‑offs and criticized replacing a planned electricity‑tax cut with the costly Mütterrente.
- Rüdiger Bachmann warned Germany is missing the AI wave, while Schularick said the auto sector is unlikely to fuel future growth given China’s lead in EV batteries.
- On Maybrit Illner, the coalition’s struggles were cast as a stress test, with discussion of agreed steps such as more Bundeswehr call‑ups, cheaper industrial power and a lower ticket tax; Maischberger kept Ukraine support and the conscription debate in focus.