Merz Urges Germans to Accept Change or Suffer Economic Slide
Friedrich Merz, TV host Joerg Pilawa and President of the German Parliament Bundestag Julia Kloeckner attend an ecumenical service during the celebrations for the Day of German Unity in Saarbruecken, Germany, Oct. 3.
Photographer: Christopher Neuendorf/Pool/Getty Images
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday implored Germans to either embrace uncomfortable reforms or watch their economy fade.
“Our nation is in the midst of an important, perhaps decisive phase in its modern history,” Merz said in a speech in Saarbruecken marking 35 years since German reunification. “Many things must change if they are to remain as good as they are, or even to improve.”