Merz says patience with SPD 'at an end' over stalled infrastructure law, coalition scrambles to contain fallout

The closed-door outburst

Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) sharply criticised the SPD during a Union parliamentary faction meeting on Tuesday, accusing the junior coalition partner of blocking the Infrastructure Future Act (Infrastrukturzukunftsgesetz). The law is designed to accelerate planning and approval for major construction projects so that funds from the €500 billion special asset can flow more quickly. According to the Rheinische Post, which first reported the remarks citing participants, Merz said the bill had been sitting in the Bundestag for six months.

And I have to say now: my patience is now also at an end, also with the Social Democrats at an end.

Merz insisted the law must reach the Federal Law Gazette before the parliamentary summer recess. Several outlets, including Spiegel and Frankfurter Allgemeine, confirmed the remarks with faction attendees.

The core dispute: linking two laws

The central point of contention is the SPD's insistence on coupling the infrastructure bill with the Natural Infrastructure Strengthening Act (Naturschutzflächenbedarfsgesetz). Merz called this linkage unacceptable. The infrastructure law, drafted by Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU), would declare many transport projects to be of overriding public interest, giving them priority over nature conservation and allowing ecological damage to be offset via compensation payments.

This law must reach the Federal Law Gazette before the parliamentary summer recess so that we can really start building in Germany.

Environment Minister Carsten Schneider (SPD) wants his own bill to regulate the details of those compensation payments and to place so-called green infrastructure — such as rewetted peatlands — under the same overriding public interest status. The Transport Ministry objects, fearing this would cancel out the acceleration effect of its own bill. The inter-ministerial coordination has therefore stalled.

SPD pushes back on the timeline

SPD transport policy spokesperson Isabel Cademartori rejected Merz's claim that the bill has been in parliament for six months, stating it was submitted roughly three months ago and that the factions have been working intensively on it since mid-March. She said the process is on schedule and in its final deliberations, with the clear goal of finishing before the summer break.

If the federal government worked with the same reliability on its projects as the specialist politicians in parliament, we would probably already be a step further.

SPD parliamentary secretary Dirk Wiese confirmed Merz's criticism was directed solely at the infrastructure bill, not the coalition as a whole. He noted that supplementary information from Transport Minister Schnieder had only recently reached lawmakers and needed to be reviewed — a normal parliamentary procedure. Wiese still considers passage before the summer recess possible.

Damage control from the CDU

Union parliamentary secretary Steffen Bilger (CDU) moved to contain the fallout on Wednesday, telling Welt TV the chancellor's remarks were not a general critique of the coalition partner but referred exclusively to the infrastructure bill. He criticised the leaking of quotes from closed faction meetings and said he wanted to "straighten things out." Overall, the Union remained optimistic about reaching an agreement with the SPD.

Broader reform talks at the Chancellery

On Wednesday, coalition leaders are meeting with employers and trade unions at the Chancellery to discuss Germany's reform needs, focusing on the labour market, social reforms, taxes, and bureaucracy reduction. Merz told the faction meeting he did not have high expectations but considered the dialogue important.

It is a conversation, an exchange of views; there will be no results, no decision papers. But I hope to gain at least some insight into what we actually share in common.