True
Confidence: 90%

NEW: German Chancellor Merz says Germans need to work more in order to match China: “We are simply no longer productive enough. Each individual may say, “I already do quite a lot.” And that may be true. But when you return from China, ladies and gentlemen, you see things more clearly. With work-life balance and a four-day week, long-term prosperity in our country cannot be maintained. We will simply have to do a bit more.”

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Summary

The tweet accurately reflects statements made by German Chancellor Merz regarding productivity and the need for Germans to work more to maintain prosperity. Multiple sources confirm his comments about productivity and work-life balance.

Claims Analyzed

German Chancellor Merz says Germans need to work more in order to match China. Accurate
Merz stated that Germans are 'simply no longer productive enough' and emphasized the need for increased work to maintain prosperity, as reported in multiple sources [1], [2].
Merz mentioned that work-life balance and a four-day week cannot maintain long-term prosperity. Accurate
He explicitly stated that 'work-life balance and a four-day week will not be enough to maintain our country’s current level of prosperity' [1].

Sources Web verified

high Politico
Checked on February 28, 2026 ·Model: gpt-4o-mini

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