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Merz under pressure: Coalition collapses due to citizens' money and citizenship!
Chancellor Merz is facing internal conflicts in the government, while migration policy and dual citizenship debates remain controversial.
Merz under pressure: Coalition collapses due to citizens' money and citizenship!
Chancellor Merz has caused quite a stir in recent months. The governing coalition, which has only been in office for less than six months, is facing major challenges. After only a short time, internal conflicts between the parties can be observed, which could have consequences for the country's political stability. The SPD left in particular is sounding the alarm and has launched a membership petition against the controversial citizens' benefit reform, which is being heavily criticized not only by its own electorate, but also within the party. [Bild] reports that even the SPD Labor Minister, who is actively involved in the reform, has not been spared from criticism.
Another hot topic is the discussion about dual citizenship. The CSU is very active here and plans to put this issue on the political agenda. The SPD, on the other hand, is not prepared to agree to this, which is causing additional tension within the coalition. The deputy leader of the SPD parliamentary group has already publicly protested against the Chancellor's statements about the cityscape. Such internal tensions are reminiscent of the difficult times of the traffic light, where internal opposition also harmed the country.
Effects of migration policy
One reason for the heated debates is Chancellor Friedrich Merz's comment on the “cityscape debate”, which has reignited the discussion about German migration policy. Under pressure from the Union supporters, who abolished “turbo naturalization” after three years, many Union politicians are now calling for changes to dual citizenship. CSU interior expert Stephan Mayer is in favor of revoking the citizenship of violent offenders and serious criminals who have dual citizenship. Hesse's Interior Minister Roman Poseck has also taken a clear position and is calling for the citizenship of Hamas supporters to be revoked.
The outcry over the issue is also fueled by the case of a Palestinian citizen in Berlin who shared anti-Semitic content after presenting his German passport. His case has prompted the Berlin State Immigration Office to consider revoking his naturalization. An absolute record number of naturalizations was recorded in 2024: 291,955 people received German citizenship, an increase of 46% compared to the previous year. This development is primarily attributed to the “Law to Modernize Nationality Law,” which came into force in June 2024 and broke static rules.
A look into the future
What awaits us in the coming months? Political observers are skeptical as to whether a reform of nationality law is possible in the foreseeable future. Migration researcher Jannes Jacobsen from DeZIM emphasizes that the waiting period of five years remains for those interested in naturalization. Given these uncertainties, tensions within the coalition could continue to rise.
In a completely different area, it is clear that modern technology is also in focus: Microsoft has presented exciting innovations in its Teams applications, ranging from communication and meetings to the availability of real-time translations. With these tools, Microsoft wants to improve collaboration and reduce barriers in digital communication. One example is the new team collaboration and chat functions, which are now available to all users. [Microsoft] highlights that implementing these tools could make everyday work much easier, especially in hybrid and international teams.
At a time when national and international political discussions are closely linked, it remains to be seen how the dynamics between the parties will develop and what role technological advances will play in political communication.