At a gathering with voters successful Salzwedel (Saxony-Anhalt), Chancellor Friedrich Merz gave a harsh effect to a woman with stage 4 skin crab who complained astir cuts successful wellness care.
In a depressed voice, the woman said: “I sent you an invitation to my funeral.” She tin hardly wage for the ceremonial and doesn’t understand why the authorities is cutting aesculapian costs while trying to summation authorities officials’ salaries.
WATCH: Chancellor Friedrich Merz abruptly cuts disconnected a woman with stage 4 crab who complained astir cuts successful healthcare.
Woman: “I already sent you an invitation to my funeral… I can’t wage for it.”
Why are spending cuts for citizens and not for politicians?
— Clash Report (@clashreport)
May 3, 2026
Merz frowned adjacent earlier the extremity of the question and instantly began to energetically contradict the accusations:
“Never“,” helium emphasized 5 times successful a row, “no 1 has ever considered expanding the salaries of members of the national government.” Never. Me too. Everything other is simply a mendacious statement.”
The chancellor asked the woman “not to repetition this without checking.”
However, the accusation astir the wage summation was not fiction: two weeks agone the measure provided for an summation of astir 40 thousand euros for high-ranking officials, and the chancellor’s wage would summation by much than 65 thousand euros per year. The program was canceled lone aft the work of BILD.
Merz besides defended wellness attraction reform: without savings, helium said, compulsory wellness security premiums would emergence dramatically. “This is simply a betterment that everyone indispensable lend to. Everyone,” helium said.
Editorial comment
This occurrence could get superior image stroke for Friedrich Merz. Instead of showing astatine slightest minimal sympathy for a woman with stage 4 cancer, the chancellor chose harsh, astir aggressive tone and repeated “never” 5 times. It looks acold and retired of touch with the world of mean citizens.
Problems for Merz:
- The viral imaginable of the video – a harsh rebuff to a sick idiosyncratic will rapidly spread crossed κοινωνικά networks and will beryllium used by the opposition.
- Emphasizes the increasing spread betwixt the governmental elite and mean Germans against the backdrop of economical difficulties and cuts successful the κοινωνικά sector.
- Reinforces the representation of a “cold technocrat” who cares much astir budgetary subject than people.
From a governmental constituent of view, Merz was formally close astir wages (the program was canceled), but emotionally helium lost. This style of communicating with voters risks costing him support, particularly successful Germany’s eastbound states.
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