Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to German streets on Saturday to oppose government spending cuts and demand a stronger welfare state, with trade unions reporting a total turnout of 175,000 demonstrators. The nationwide rallies target planned reforms to working hours, pensions, and social security benefits advanced by Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition government.
Nationwide Protests Target German Welfare Cuts
Demonstrations unfolded across multiple German cities under the rallying cry “Hard-earned! Your work. Your health. Your pension.” According to trade union estimates, turnout reached significant numbers in several urban centers, including over 20,000 in Nuremberg, 16,000 in Stuttgart, 15,000 in Frankfurt, 13,000 in Hanover, 12,000 in Essen, 5,500 in Berlin, alongside actions in Saarbrücken and other locations.
Automobile manufacturer Volkswagen has announced sweeping job cuts, fueling broader anxieties over job security and economic stability. These socioeconomic pressures previously shaped recent state elections in Berlin as well as the eastern states of Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which yielded heavy defeats for the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
Clash Between Unions and Employers Over Pension Reform
Speaking to crowds in Essen, German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) leader Yasmin Fahimi criticized the governing coalition’s legislative agenda regarding working hours and pensions. “We will not simply allow what we have built up over many years in terms of social standards to be taken away from us,” Fahimi stated.
In Nuremberg, IG Metall leader Christiane Benner cautioned against reducing social safety nets during industrial transitions, particularly within the automotive sector.
Employer representatives dismissed the union-led mobilization. Steffen Kampeter, chief executive of the Confederation of German Employers’ Associations (BDA), told the DPA news agency that trade unions maintained a “ritual refusal to reform.” Kampeter asserted that “the trade unions say ‘no’ to almost every change” and accused them of “dreaming of the world of yesterday.”
Despite the widespread demonstrations and electoral setbacks, Chancellor Friedrich Merz affirmed earlier this month that his administration’s agenda remains unchanged, insisting that “the reforms must go ahead.”
Related reading