German Chancellor Friedrich Merz courted controversy at an election rally last weekend after criticising what he described as an “excessively high” level of absenteeism, pointing to sick notes issued by telephone as a potential source of abuse. The practice was introduced during the pandemic and has since been retained. Following the chancellor’s comments, Germany’s health minister Nina Warken announced a review of the regulations and their potential abolition. Merz’s comments come against the
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As a Berlin correspondent for the French and Swiss press since the late 1990s, I cover a wide range of economic, political and social issues, with a particular focus on the German business and labour market. My areas of interest include co-determination, digitalisation, demographics and ESG/DEI policies.