Germany’s governing coalition has agreed on a wide-ranging package of economic reforms after hours of negotiations in Berlin, introducing changes to taxes, pensions, labour rules and public spending policy. The package includes provisions cracking down on existing sick leave policies. The deal was reached following around seven hours of talks between Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s CDU/CSU bloc and its coalition partner, the SPD. Officials described the agreement as a coordinated effort to support growth and address long-running structural issues in the German economy. Speaking after the negotiations, Merz said the government was focused on improving competitiveness and reducing administrative burdens. humanevents.com