The 'bullshit' row over Germany’s social state

Germany’s coalition was trying to make up and get along... but then someone dropped an English swearword in reference to the chancellor.

Dear Reader,

For two days last week, the top leaders of Germany’s often-contentious coalition partners—the centre-right CDU/CSU and centre-left SPD—gathered in the picturesque Bavarian city of Würzburg for a retreat. Amid discussions on how to resolve conflicts and strengthen unity after the summer break, participants were seen sipping Franconian wine and strolling leisurely across the city’s bridges.

The positive powwow prompted CDU/CSU faction leader Jens Spahn to effuse about the “guter Geist von Würzburg” (good spirit of Würzburg). The phrase quickly became shorthand in the German media for renewed optimism and cooperation within the coalition, which got off to a rocky start amid persistent quarrels over taxes, social spending, and other key policy areas.

Attendees emphasised that they would mend their differences through dialogue rather than airing disagreements publicly. Yet that “Geist” appeared to vanish within days, when Chancellor Friedrich Merz of all people bluntly declared t…