The Family Business Association believes the Bundestag, Germany's lower house of parliament, should cancel this year’s summer recess in order to discuss and adopt much-needed reforms.
“Under no circumstances must it happen that, over the long summer, every single measure is picked apart by the various interest groups, resulting in little or no relief for businesses and their employees," the group's head, Christine Ostermann, told the RND media group on Saturday.
Ostermann reportedly wrote a letter to lawmakers from Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition, calling for “the committees relevant to the reform package to continue their work over the summer.”
The aim, she said, should be for the Bundestag to be able to pass the reform bills in second and third readings before the end of August.
Ostermann also referred to companies’ planning. Investment plans in most companies are approved in the autumn. Calculations must be made beforehand, based on approved legislation.
“Just because it’s the summer recess doesn’t mean we wouldn’t be working as lawmakers,” senior conservative Steffen Bilger told broadcaster RTL/ntvregarding Ostermann's proposal.
Discussions, working group meetings and coalition talks take place regularly, he pointed out.
“The Cabinet meets continuously throughout the summer, and that is where the decisions must be taken, which are then forwarded to the Bundestag,” Bilger added.
The coalition committee, the central decision-making body in the alliance between Merz's conservatives and the centre-left Social Democrats, is set to decide on fundamental reforms before the summer recess begins on July 10.
Key issues at stake include taxes, the labour market, pensions and the reduction of bureaucracy. Reforms to statutory long-term care insurance and statutory health insurance are also planned.
