Whenever the budget is debated in the Bundestag, it is the opposition's moment to shine. This is its opportunity to catalog everything it dislikes about the government's policies. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has now led the coalition of the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU) parties and the left-leaning Social Democrats (SPD) for 65 days. What have they been able to accomplish so far?

The chancellor began his speech with foreign policy. He said that Germany is living up to international expectations by once again taking on "the leadership role" in Europe. He sharply criticized Russia, saying that the government in Moscow was "a criminal regime that is using military force to challenge the very right of an entire country to exist." Russia's goal, he said, was to destroy Ukraine. "The German federal government will do everything in its power to prevent this."

In the tariffs dispute between the European Commission and the US, Merz announced further negotiations. The goal, he said, is to reach a new trade agreement with the lowest possible tariffs. He acknowledged that this would not be easy but said that an agreement could be reached by the fall.

When will the economy start to recover?

On the domestic front, the chancellor spoke of a "turning point" in economic policy, which he says was made possible, in part, by the decision to take on significantly high levels of new debt. Although this is the third consecutive year without economic growth, research institutes are now raising their economic forecasts for the first time. "We are noticing that the mood in the country is improving again."

Merz promised changes in the areas of housing and education policy. He also announced that there will be changes in social policy. For instance, a reform to welfare, known as or citizen's income (Bürgergeld), will be introduced in the fall. Merz said the goal is to turn it into "a basic income for those who really need our welfare state."

Since taking office, the CDU/CSU has gained ground in the polls and is currently polling at 30%. Friedrich Merz's approval ratings have also improved, with significantly more citizens now saying they are satisfied with his work than two months ago.

AfD's Alice Weidel attacks Merz

On the subject of migration, Merz mentioned in the Bundestag that border controls have tightened. He said that rejections had already prevented "thousands of illegal entries." In addition, the federal government had abolished accelerated naturalization and pushed ahead with changes to the list of countries of origin that are deemed safe.

Merz emphasized how tough his government had been on migration policy. But he also said: "We want Germany to remain an open, liberal, and free country, and above all, we want Germany to remain a tolerant country."

These words were a direct attack on the Alternative for Germany (AfD), a party that has been classified as partly right-wing extremist. Alice Weidel, the leader of the AfD and its parliamentary group, said in her speech that the federal government's migration policy is inadequate and ineffective.

Her speech had been eagerly awaited. Recently, the AfD parliamentary group adopted a new code of conduct. The resolution called on its members to strive for "a united and moderate presence in parliament."

However, Weidel, whose party is at a stable 23% in the polls, was not moderate at all. She called Merz the "lying chancellor" and accused him of breaking his word. She said that he is pursuing left-wing policies and is allowing himself to be led by the SPD.

What's more, she claims that his chancellorship will go down in history as "the biggest electoral fraud in German history." She argues that, contrary to his campaign promises, Merz has relaxed the debt brake and did not lower the electricity tax for everyone as promised in the coalition agreement. This is a golden opportunity for the AfD, which is now trying to undermine the credibility of the CDU/CSU and Merz.

The AfD's favorite topic: migration

Weidel described the federal budget and the government's financial planning as a "debt orgy." She also criticized Germany's support for Ukraine. But it wasn't long until she moved on to the AfD's favorite topic, migration policy. She painted a very bleak picture, saying that knife attacks, sexual offenses, assaults in outdoor swimming pools, and gang rapes are the order of the day. "Islamization is advancing rapidly and aggressively."

After Weidel's speech, Bundestag President Julia Klöckner called for a more measured tone to be used in parliament: "We do not personally disparage each other here or accuse each other of lying," said the CDU politician.

Differences between the SPD and the CDU/CSU

SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch gave an overall positive assessment of the first weeks of government. However, he also acknowledged that the SPD and the CDU/CSU see many things differently. The SPD wants to make its social democratic profile more visible. In the general election, the SPD achieved its worst result since 1887, with only 16%. But since then, things have continued to go downhill. Currently, the SPD is polling at only 13%.

Greens and Left Party

The co-leader of the Left Party's parliamentary group, Heidi Reichinnek, accused the federal government of acting against the interests of citizens. Billions of euros were being poured into the defense budget, while cuts were being made "all over the place." Instead of investing in healthcare or public transportation, there is a "massive military buildup and tax breaks for the super-rich and corporations." According to Reichinnek, whose party is neck and neck with the Greens in the polls, there is no shortage of money. It was just being distributed incorrectly.

The Greens are currently in fourth place in the polls with 11%, behind the SPD. After three and a half years in government, they are back in the opposition. From this role in government, the parliamentary group has been strongly critical of the policies of the CDU/CSU and SPD, especially on climate protection, where there has been an "incomprehensible setback." "You are planning large-scale fossil fuel power plants and talking about slowing down the expansion of renewable energies," said parliamentary group leader Katharina Dröge in the plenary session. This is a "declaration of bankruptcy in terms of climate policy."

This article was originally written in German.

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