DEUTSCHLAND: "Verwunderung!" Sommerpause durcharbeiten? Da sind sich SPD und Union plötzlich einig!

GERMANY: "Astonishment!" Working through the summer recess? The SPD and the CDU/CSU suddenly agree! Taxes, labor market, pensions: The CDU/CSU-SPD coalition wants to make progress on reforms before the summer recess. A business association is pushing for speed – and the reaction was swift. From the perspective of the Association of Family Businesses, the Bundestag should forgo its summer recess this year in order to discuss and pass the planned reforms. Association head Christine Ostermann told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND): "It absolutely must not happen that every single measure is picked apart by the various interest groups over the long summer, resulting in little or no relief for companies and their employees." According to the RND, Ostermann wrote a corresponding letter to the members of parliament from the CDU/CSU-SPD governing coalition. In it, she demands "that the committees relevant to the reform package continue their work during the summer." The goal should be for the Bundestag to pass the reform bills in their second and third readings as early as August. Ostermann also pointed to the planning of companies. Investment plans in most companies are finalized in the fall. Calculations must be made beforehand – based on the passed legislation. Coalition politicians: Legislation will not grind to a halt The governing coalition rejects this proposal. Steffen Bilger (CDU), the parliamentary manager of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, told RTL/ntv: "Just because it's the summer recess doesn't mean we're not working as members of parliament." Discussions, working group meetings, and coalition talks take place regularly. "The cabinet meets continuously throughout the summer, and that's where the decisions have to be made, which are then forwarded to the Bundestag." Committees can convene for special sessions at any time. It is ensured that the necessary decisions will be made without delay. Dirk Wiese, the parliamentary manager of the SPD parliamentary group, expressed a similar view. “Even Ms. Ostermann should know that the government and the parliamentary groups supporting it by no means stop working during the summer recess. Her lack of awareness is therefore surprising,” he told the Rheinische Post. He assured the public that the legislative process would not come to a standstill during the summer, but would continue in order to initiate important decisions. The coalition committee, the central decision-making body of the governing coalition of the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats, is scheduled to decide on fundamental reforms before the summer recess – which, as things stand, begins after the last session of the Bundestag on July 10. According to previous statements by the parliamentary leaders of the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats, the topics to be discussed are: taxes, the labor market, pensions, and reducing bureaucracy. Reforms to statutory long-term care insurance and statutory health insurance are also planned. The parliamentary summer recess ends at the beginning of September. The coalition committee is to decide on fundamental reforms before the summer recess – which, as it currently stands, begins after the last session of the Bundestag on July 10. #spd #cdu #union #weltnachrichtensender Subscribe to the WELT YouTube Channel    / weltvideotv   WELT DOKU Channel    / weltdoku   WELT Podcast Channel    / weltpodcast   WELT Netzreporter Channel    / dienetzreporter   The WELT News Livestream http://bit.ly/2fwuMPg The Top News on WELT.de http://bit.ly/2rQQD9Q The Media Library on WELT.de http://bit.ly/2Iydxv8 WELT News Channel on Instagram   / welt.nachrichtensender   WELT on Instagram   / welt   A note from us: Due to the high volume of inappropriate and offensive comments, we are currently unable to allow comments. Thank you for your understanding – the WELT Team Video created in 2026