CDU leader Merz questions the dual health-insurance system as a fairness issue

Friedrich Merz, head of the CDU, raised doubts about Germany's dual health-insurance framework, describing the differing treatment of private and statutory patients as a perceived injustice. Speaking after a party leadership session in Berlin, he pointed to faster appointments and services for privately insured individuals, contrasted with longer waits for those in the statutory system. Merz said politics must address this "justice problem," though he offered no specific reform proposal.

The chancellor also acknowledged the public's concern and agreed that the system might require adjustment. These remarks mark a shift from the party's historic defense of the two-tier model and come amid recent electoral setbacks for the CDU. Further internal and coalition discussions are expected to shape any future policy direction.