German Chancellor met with booing as economic pain fuels political tensions

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faced a hostile reception at a major trade union congress in Berlin, with delegates repeatedly heckling and booing him as he defended sweeping economic reforms, POLITICO reports.

Addressing the gathering, Merz argued that Germany could no longer maintain prosperity without fundamentally overhauling its economic and social model. “We have simply failed to modernize our country,” the Christian Democrat leader said. “Germany must therefore pull itself together.”

The atmosphere in the hall deteriorated further when he turned to austerity measures and planned pension reforms. His coalition government has been engaged in internal disputes over cost-cutting measures, although ministers recently approved a health care package aimed at reducing public expenditure by billions.

Looking ahead, Merz described pension reform as the “toughest nut to crack.” “None of this is malice on my part or on the part of the federal government,” he said. “It is demography and mathematics.” The remarks prompted another wave of boos and whistles from the audience.

The backlash comes as Merz’s approval ratings continue to decline sharply. According to the latest DeutschlandTrend survey published on May 7, only 13 percent of Germans are satisfied with the performance of the coalition between Merz’s conservatives and the Social Democrats.

Meanwhile, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has overtaken Merz’s conservatives in several national polls, capitalizing on public frustration over economic stagnation, rising energy costs, and unpopular reforms. The economic fallout from the Iran conflict and tariff threats by US President Donald Trump has further strained Germany’s economy, forcing the government to revise growth forecasts downward.

Pressure is expected to increase ahead of key state elections in eastern Germany in September, where the AfD is projected to perform strongly.

Despite the backlash, Merz urged trade unions to cooperate with his government on reforms. “We need this joint search for ways to move our country forward,” he said.

By Vafa Guliyeva