Association head critical: Bad mood in the craft sector

The German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH) is seeing growing dissatisfaction with the federal government among many members. The turnaround in sentiment promised by Chancellor Friedrich Merz by the summer break is "not noticeable," ZDH President Jörg Dittrich told the "Bild" newspaper. "The data suggest that there is a slight sense of optimism. I would like to change that word and say it's probably more hope than confidence."

In particular, the government's "growth booster" for the economy is bypassing the skilled trades, Dittrich noted. He was particularly critical of the fact that the promised electricity tax reduction has not materialized. This is destroying trust. "Many people are angry. I'm getting a lot of calls about this," Dittrich said.

Following the coalition committee's decision not to reduce the electricity tax for everyone for the time being, the ZDH accused the federal government of breaking its word. "Many skilled trades businesses—especially those in energy-intensive sectors—relied on this commitment, incorporated it into their planning, and made business decisions based on it," Dittrich explained in July.

When asked whether more skilled tradespeople would vote for the AfD because of the dissatisfaction, Dittrich said: "Skilled trades are a large social group. And if the AfD's share grows, then that will also be the case in the skilled trades." He doesn't have any specific statistics on this, "but it would be foolish to believe that it's fewer there."

In his opinion, the anger is particularly strong in rural areas. "There, public services are no longer sufficiently addressed. Schools, daycare centers, local public transport," said Dittrich. This must change, he warned.