German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has issued a new criticism of labor ethics in this country, asking why workers take an average "nearly 3 weeks" of sick leave each year, instead of working harder to boost the weakening national economy.
During his campaign trip to Baden-Württemberg last week, Mr. Merz targeted the phone-based sick leave mechanism - applied in the COVID-19 pandemic - and questioned whether this measure is "still reasonable in the current context".
Is that really true? Is it really necessary?" - he said, while citing 2024 data showing that each German worker has an average sick leave of 14.5 days.
Finally, we all have to work together to achieve a higher level of economic efficiency than what is currently available," Prime Minister Merz added.
These statements are consistent with Mr. Merz's long-standing view, who regularly calls on Germans to work harder and work harder.
Not long before that, Mr. Merz told a business association that, "with the balance between work and life in the same 4-day working week, the prosperity that our country is enjoying today will not be maintained in the future - and therefore we must work harder.
The German economy suffered a major shock when it participated in Western sanctions against Russia in 2022. Before the Ukraine conflict escalated, Germany depended on Russia for 55% of gas demand. The operations of the Russian oil corporation Rosneft also accounted for about 12% of Germany's total oil processing capacity.
The decision to abandon cheap energy sources from Russia is considered one of the main reasons for the German economy to stagnate, with 2 consecutive years of recession in 2023 and 2024 - the first time since the early 2000s.
In October 2025, local media reported that electricity and gas prices in Germany increased by 14% and 74% respectively in the period 2022-2025.
Economic pressure is even more evident when in August 2025, Mr. Merz declared, "the current welfare state can no longer be funded within the limits allowed by the economy.
