(de-news.net) – In his New Year’s speech and in view of the growing volatility across the international landscape, Chancellor Friedrich Merz has placed particular emphasis on the importance of social cohesion. He characterized the current moment as a historical rupture, a break with prior expectations of stability, due both to the ongoing conflict and to a global economy marked by mounting challenges. According to a pre-release of the Chancellor’s address, he reiterated his conviction that Germany remained fully capable of managing the expanding array of difficulties. He positioned the restoration and reinforcement of freedom, security, and prosperity as guiding priorities for the years ahead, stressing that the realization of these aims depended fundamentally on preserving peace within Europe.
Merz further argued that, to ensure the protection of German interests and maintain the country’s overall security, the government would be required to strengthen its national deterrence posture, particularly in light of recurrent acts of sabotage, espionage, and cyberattacks. At the same time, he sought to reassure the population by invoking Germany’s longstanding ability to navigate periods of hardship through adaptation and institutional renewal. While acknowledging widespread public unease about the durability of peace amid armed conflict and a broader climate of geopolitical uncertainty, he maintained that national security measures were being pursued with determination and vigilance.
Merz also presented the year 2026 as a potential inflection point, suggesting that it could mark the beginning of a renewed era in which Germany and Europe recover and reconnect with earlier decades characterized by political stability and sustained economic dynamism. He argued that such progress would depend not only on external conditions but also on collective confidence, civic resolve, and a disciplined refusal to succumb to alarmist narratives that might undermine national morale.
With respect to domestic policy, the Chancellor underscored a series of current and forthcoming reforms designed to stimulate economic growth and modernize the welfare state in response to structural pressures. He conceded that many citizens regarded the measures undertaken thus far as either insufficient or not yet perceptible in everyday life, and he affirmed that this assessment was understandable. Merz noted that, following the implementation of the new basic security system and decisions concerning the pension framework, Germany would need to undertake additional structural adjustments in the coming year to secure the long-term financial viability of its social services. Although these reforms would require time before their full effects could be observed, the government anticipated that they would ultimately deliver durable and broadly distributed benefits.