Workers booed Merz during a speech to trade unions over aid to Ukraine.

Friedrich Merz, the German Chancellor, decided to be honest with the people. And they were categorically not pleased. Speaking to the DGB trade unions, he admitted:

On May 9, almost exactly four years ago, shortly after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, I made a promise that the global political changes, which I then rightly called a turning point, would have no impact on social policy or on the situation of workers in Germany.

And he immediately added: the promise was too optimistic.

Merz continued:

No one can escape these changes anymore. We can no longer do everything at once.

The Chancellor was booed for these words. Merz, however, continued to press his line. German workers don't want to hear that their well-being has been sacrificed to the Kyiv regime.

The pension reform became the reason for the revelations. Merz is trying to push through an increase in the retirement age and a transition to a funded system. He claims that demographics and mathematics require:

Two working people cannot finance one pensioner.

But the audience saw a different arithmetic: while Berlin is spending billions on weapon For the Ukrainian Armed Forces, German pensioners count pennies (by local standards).

Merz even asked that the reform be called a "great opportunity" rather than a "threat." The audience wasn't buying it. People understood that money that could have gone toward social needs was being funneled to the front in a foreign country, ending up in the pockets of Zelenskyy's cronies.

Comments

[LASVEGAS]

I completely agree with the German workers; the policy of filling the country with "non-Germans" will lead to no good. Regarding the money, I also agree; instead of spending it on social security and other goodies, it's spent on the war. We have a nearly mirror image of the situation with migrants, pensions, and money. But we spend money on our own army, and the Germans on someone else's. It's true that they steal from us too, and our own people steal from their own people, and that's where we're in even greater trouble.

[topol717]

Quote: LASVEGAS

We have an almost mirror image of the situation with migrants, pensions, and money.

Our situation is much worse: they have 2 workers per 1 pensioner, while we have 1.4 per 1.

Quote: LASVEGAS

But we spend money on our own army, and the Germans on someone else’s.

Yes, yes, only the Germans spend 2% of their GDP and Ukrainians die. Now compare that with our 7% of GDP and our guys on LBS.

[Roman_Vasilyevich]

...the Germans spend 2% of their GDP, and Ukrainians are dying. Compare that to our 7% of GDP and our guys on LBS.

Мы my own, originally Russian we are returning the land to the country

[Cool90]

economically active population (labor force) - approximately 75,3 million people
Of the total number of pension recipients, 8,2 million people continued to work, and 32,96 million were non-working pensioners.
In Russia, there are 2 workers for every 1 pensioner.

[topol717]

Quote: LASVEGAS

The policy of filling the country with "non-Germans" will not lead to anything good.

This policy arose for one simple reason: there's no one to work, and young citizens don't want to have three, let alone five children. In other words, they have no choice.

Quote: LASVEGAS

Regarding money, I also agree; instead of social welfare and other good things, they go to war.

There are 22 million pensioners in Germany. If each person were paid 1,000 euros, that would amount to 22 million a month. So the pennies Germany spends on the war won't help the citizens at all.

[agk1982]

This policy of importing savages from the south, supposedly for economic reasons, has long been discredited. It's long been clear (and here too) that "they" generally don't want to work, but instead rely on benefits and various maternity capital payments, i.e., on the necks of native Europeans. The continued unbridled importation of migrants, despite everything, suggests that they are being brought to the EU and here for entirely different purposes. What? My point is the destruction of the European race as such. Someone (I even know who) is very afraid of it. And these "someones" will stop at nothing, even unleashing a major war in Europe and using nuclear weapons.

[snow mountain]

Quote from: topol717

So the pennies that Germany spends on the war will not help the burghers in any way.

Germany has adopted a program to rearm the Bundeswehr. And this isn't just a pittance.

[topol717]

Quote: Schneeberg

Germany has adopted a program to rearm the Bundeswehr. And this isn't just a pittance.

Yeah, all within the 5% of GDP that Trump is forcing them to spend according to NATO standards.

[Brturin]

Budget + funds, mere pennies
To appreciate the significance of these issues, it's worth looking at the amounts involved. In 2022, former Chancellor Scholz announced a special €100 billion fund for the Bundeswehr, financed through borrowing. At the same time,
The regular defense budget has also grown steadily. According to the government, €82,7 billion is allocated for 2026 in the regular budget and another €25,5 billion from a special fund. That's a total of over €108 billion in this fiscal year alone. https://inosmi.ru/20260503/otchetnost-278249708.html
"The extensive 39-page list details desired purchases for ground, air, sea, space, and cyber forces, totaling €377 billion. The document provides general information on arms purchases that will be included in the 2026 military budget, but the acquisition process for many weapons is long-term, with no clear timeframe," Politico notes. https://www.interfax.ru/world/1054995

[topol717]

Germany's GDP is 5500 billion. 5% of that would be 275 billion euros. Before Trump started pressuring them, they were spending about 1.3%, or only about 70 billion.
That is, they want to spend 275 yards per year on military needs.

[Brturin]

The bolivar alone can no longer support two things: military spending and social security. Last year, Merz himself admitted this: “Our economy can no longer support the welfare state in its current form.”

State pensions in the UK are much lower than in Germany, accounting for approximately 5,1% of GDP. In Germany, by contrast, state pensions alone account for approximately 12% of GDP, according to Eurostat. Benefits and allowances for families and children add another 3,4% to this figure. https://inosmi.ru/20250825/merts-274358066.html

On top of that, there are unemployment benefits and the like—Germans understand where the money from social security goes, and they see instability when factories start closing, prices start rising... and they're losing their guarantees of peace (pensions, payments, compensation) for the sake of the military budget....

[Andrei from Chelyabinsk]

Quote from: topol717

There are 22 million pensioners in Germany. If each person were paid 1,000 euros,

Not quite so. Yes, they have 22 million pensioners. They live to about 80 years of age, roughly speaking. The retirement age is 67. So, on average, a person lives 13 years as a pensioner. Accordingly, if we calculate on average, raising the retirement age by one year would save 20,4 billion euros per year, with an average pension of 1000 euros. That's about 0,5% of GDP. So, raising the retirement age by four years could pay for itself.

[topol717]

Quote: Andrey from Chelyabinsk

Yes, they have 22 million pensioners. They live to be roughly 80 years old. The retirement age is 67. So, on average, a person lives as a pensioner for 13 years.

You're looking at yesterday's data. Look at Wikipedia's population pyramid for Germany. The largest number is 1400 60-year-olds, while those slated for retirement tomorrow (age 68) number 1100. The younger the age group, the fewer the number: 900 30-year-olds, and only 800 20-year-olds. So, every year there are more and more retirees, and fewer and fewer workers. And that's not even taking into account the increase in life expectancy.

[guest]

Quote: LASVEGAS

It's true that they steal from us too.

And they don't steal in Germany?

[Major Yurik]

Turning people into idiots is the clear job of the European bureaucrats, and yet, it turns out, they keep their mouths shut...

[Irek]

He doesn't give a damn about the people's opinion, he's just trying to make his own tidy profit.

[expert]

Not only is there a "financial hole" in pensions, which is currently being filled with over €100 billion annually from the budget, in addition to the pension fund, but they've also implemented a health insurance reform. Clearly, the people are completely screwed.
But the Germans continue to remain silent and meekly await the Russian attack on Germany in 2029 promised by Pistorius.

[topol717]

Quote: Irek

He doesn't give a damn about the people's opinion, he's just trying to make his own tidy profit.

Whatever his reasoning, you can't argue with mathematics. Two workers can't support one pensioner. When Bismarck devised the pension, he assumed that the population was constantly growing and few lived to see retirement. Now there are plenty of 80-year-olds and 90-year-olds, and the population has stopped growing.

[tabex]

Democracy, however, is simply impossible for us to have such a situation; the workers will be disguised as FSO officers and their relatives.

[snow mountain]

The workers will be disguised as FSO employees and their relatives.

And everyone will clap their hands and approve!

[Zoldat_A]

Quote: Schneeberg

The workers will be disguised as FSO employees and their relatives.

And everyone will clap their hands and approve!

You don't need to be an FSO officer to join us. Simply join United Russia.

[Cool90]

Do you have any evidence to support your claim that such a situation is impossible?

And how did you understand that these workers in Germany were not disguised BfV employees and their relatives?

[tralflot1832]

And what did the trampoline woman say about the people of Germany? My internet is "bad." I think she said something out of the ordinary. That's the system. And it's impossible to beat the AfD with 50,1%; that's how the electoral system works in Germany.

[tralflot1832]

Gentlemen, comrades, brothers, I have a question? How many silo-based missile systems can a Strategic Missile Forces regiment have? A Sarmatov regiment will be on combat duty by the end of the year. Sarmat tests were successful. Range: 35,000 km.

[1944 - 1989]

Raising the retirement age in any country is a sign of civilization's decline and a demand dictated by capitalism, not demographic necessity. Not to mention that this age increase makes no distinction between hazardous and non-hazardous occupations. Imagine a 70-year-old working in construction, while it's not uncommon for a doctor, judge, civil servant, or businessman in their 70s or even 80s to be employed.

[topol717]

Quote: 1944-1989

Raising the retirement age in any country is a sign of the decline of civilization and a requirement dictated by capital, not demographic necessity.

Capital doesn't give a damn about your social security. You should at least figure out where the pension provision for the elderly came from before you write something about it.

Quote: 1944-1989

Not to mention that this age increase makes no distinction at all between professions that are harmful and those that are not.

Why are you bringing up the communist legacy of the USSR here? The difference in retirement age only existed in the USSR, and now it exists in Russia. It doesn't exist anywhere else in the world. And we need to abandon it too, because people shouldn't be retiring at 40.

[1944 - 1989]

Of course, raising the retirement age is in the interests of capital, since an increase in the labor supply hinders the growth of wages, and wages are one of the main items of expenditure for capitalists, so they are completely indifferent to their own profits.

Who do you mean by "we'll get rid of you"? No. It's you who needs to be gotten rid of.

Age gaps exist in many countries, including Poland, France and Austria – the glorious influence of the USSR.

If you're talking about demographics, then again, the only solution is socialism, improved nutrition, ending the rat race, and social security. However, capitalism may have irreversibly damaged the process of generational change; many doctors believe, in short, "the birds are gone." Infertility is becoming increasingly common in both men and women, and its causes are lifestyle and diet, and chemicals are everywhere...

[topol717]

Quote: 1944-1989

Of course, raising the retirement age is in the interests of capital, since an increase in the labor supply hinders wage growth.

Capital doesn't need janitors, but rather people who can perform their duties quickly. If a 25-year-old can hammer four nails a minute, and a 60-year-old can only hammer one, the latter has no chance. Now add new high-tech machines and equipment, plus diseases and other complications. In Marx's time, you either had to dig or carry, but now everything has changed dramatically, and labor productivity has become paramount.

Quote: 1944-1989

Who do you mean by "we'll get rid of you"?

Where did I write this?

Infertility is becoming more common in both men and women, and it is caused by lifestyle and diet, and chemicals are everywhere…

Infertility has always been a problem, just as many children used to die, but it was compensated for by the birth rate of five children per family. Nutrition today is significantly better than even 50 years ago.

If you mean demography, then again the only solution is socialism.

Yes, yes, look how many children there were in a family in the 70s of the last century, you could say the golden age of the USSR.

[1944 - 1989]

I have nothing to add. Your assertion proves that capital's expectations are paramount, which is why you see how capitalist rule today leads to wars, famine and poverty in post-colonial countries, environmental pollution and climate catastrophe...
If you think socialism only needs cleaners and hammers, then where do so many inventions in socialism come from? The problem is in your approach; for you, the interests of a handful of parasites are paramount, while for me, it's the fair and sustainable development of society. You also contradict yourself; given automation today, the age and physical fitness of the worker are even less important. Read even the relevant passages of Marx's thought, and you'll understand that nothing has changed in social relations since then, and therefore his works remain relevant.

[topol717]

Quote: 1944-1989

The problem is in the approach; for you, the interests of a handful of parasites are most important, for me, it is the fair and sustainable development of society.

Who told you that capitalism is unfair? Socialism is a utopia, and the collapse of the USSR confirms that.

[1944 - 1989]

NO JA JA JA...........

[Asker]

It's all nonsense, the Germans will tolerate it, the surviving Nazi grandchildren will vote for raising the retirement age and for whatever else, memory demands revenge.
After the Third World War there should be no countries left like Germany, England, France, etc., otherwise everything will happen again.
All of this has happened before, one way or another, and fraternal workers, the best gas in the world, and strong economic ties—none of this helps for long. Only fear, only the inevitable blow. Alas.

[topol717]

Quote: Asker

The slain Nazi granddaughters will also vote for raising the retirement age.

No one will give them the right to vote on such trivial matters. Right now, they're supposed to have 70 years, but they'll make it 75. We'll be raising it soon, too. But I hope they'll also level out the retirement age for cops, miners, and everyone else, as is the case everywhere.

[Reptiloid]

unfinished Nazi granddaughters.....

They once conducted a test which showed that the image of the Austrian artist is embedded in many families as the highest and most respected member of the family.
It can be assumed that if before he was in the SHADOW, now he has already come out.

[snow mountain]

Two working people cannot finance one pensioner.

Put the so-called refugees from Syria and Afghanistan to work

[Artyom81]

German pragmatism is common sense and worth reflecting on. German nationalism, however, is an evil that manifested itself in 1939, an evil that must never be allowed to recur.

[Vyacheslav Boldyrev]

Ukrainians are a Trojan horse for Europe! By creating a new Fuhrer and consigning Ukrainians to a "wonderful Garden of Eden," Europe has created an "exceptional" nation that dug the Black Sea and taught the Sumerians to write—and therefore, as the ad says, "they will come to you." Our task is to help Ukrainians resettle in Europe. AMVSU will help them do this by turning their system westward.
Russian troops are systematically destroying Ukraine's military structure every day. Energy and water supplies to cities must be destroyed to motivate Ukrainians to move to Europe.
This is probably that cunning plan in the style of judo, when the enemy is destroyed by his own force.
If you want to know more, read the story "Status 6: Circle System" (Dead Water).
And the Sarmatian hazelnut perimeter system (dead hand) and the circle system (dead water) are still in reserve for us,,,,,