Merz urges patience as Germany faces “epochal turning point”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned that the country is entering a period of profound transformation, describing the current global environment as an “epochal turning point” and urging both citizens and businesses to remain patient as the government pushes ahead with reforms.

Speaking at an economic conference in North Rhine–Westphalia, Merz said Germany is confronting a dual challenge driven by global geoeconomic disruptions and long-standing domestic structural weaknesses. 

“We are witnessing a profound epochal turning point, similar to what each generation experiences once,” he said, emphasising that the scale of change extends across all sectors of national life and will require far-reaching reforms.

Merz stressed that the situation goes beyond a typical crisis, framing it instead as a historical shift. “We, those born after World War II, have so far simply been lucky. But now, 80 years after the end of the war, we are experiencing this just like every generation in previous centuries, and ours too, albeit after 80 years,” he added.

The chancellor underlined that Germany is already undergoing a reform process and that his government intends to accelerate these changes, despite mounting social and political challenges.

His comments come amid growing pressure from the business community in North Rhine–Westphalia, where representatives have called on authorities to demonstrate greater “reformist courage,” pointing to frustration among entrepreneurs over what they see as the slow pace of change.

The remarks also unfold against a shifting political backdrop. The ruling coalition formed by the Christian Democratic Union of Germany/Christian Social Union in Bavaria and the Social Democratic Party of Germany has now been in power for one year, during which its approval ratings have declined. At the same time, support for the opposition Alternative for Germany has increased in several opinion polls, in some cases reaching levels comparable to the country’s leading political force.

By Tamilla Hasanova