Germany has a new 'pragmatic' government
14 April 2025
Five months after the previous government collapsed, Germany's conservatives have reached a deal with the Social Democrats. Despite Friedrich Merz's confident claim that "Germany is back on track," the new chancellor leads a coalition shaped more by pragmatic necessity than visionary ambition.
The agreement includes tightened immigration rules, a nod to social protections, promises of streamlined bureaucracy and defence reform. The overarching aim is to revive Germany's economy, which was already in recession before being hit by US president Trump's trade tariffs.
The climate crisis barely got a mention. In the end, the deal is a necessary compromise which leaves all sides feeling they have won some and yielded some. One of the few clear areas of consensus, both parties are firmly aligned on their support for Ukraine. We can expect Germany to play a more assertive role in shaping the EU’s defence policy.
 | Constanze Sendler Just hours before the coalition deal was announced, a poll showed the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) leading nationwide for the first time. Co-leader Alice Weidel called it "unprecedented" and promised that "political change will come." If Merz's political centre coalition fails to deliver, the AfD will be ready and waiting for the next elections. |
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